1177 Main St. USA, September 1971
In this column, Cormier recounts his wife calling him out on faking the music he is listening to in a previous column. He normalizes the behavior by recounting several instances where, as a parent, he must pretend to have good advice, know the answers, or feign bravery. Some manipulation of the truth is a part of realism and in the spirit of truth-telling.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
September 1971
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/139" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1177 Main St. USA, August 1972</a>
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+column">Magazine column</a>
"The Trouble with Parents" <em>Woman's Own</em>
This piece recounts a boy's discomfort with watching his parents argue, as told in his trademark detailed narrative style. By talking to his parents, he finds their similarities. His sister's observations also inform him of the role of nonverbal communication in gauging caring and intimacy.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>Woman's Own</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
27 October 1973
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 9.5 x 12 magazine pages
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+short+story">Magazine short story</a>
"Mine on Thursdays" <em>Woman's Day</em>
This story recounts a father's visit with his daughter Holly, who is "his on Thursdays." The father realizes that he has been bribing his daughter for her love rather than having a meaningful role in her life.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>Woman's Day</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
October 1968
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+short+story">Magazine short story</a>
"Suddenly She's 10 Years Old" <em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em> column 1177 Main St. USA
This column recounts Cormier's daughter's transitional stage as a ten-year-old. Among the topics of discussion are her love of horses and her new-found preoccupation with getting the right haircut and crushing on television actors.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
August 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine page
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+column">Magazine column</a>
"Her Caterpillar Summer" <em>Parents </em>magazine
This published version of "Her Caterpillar Summer", Cormier tells of the summer when his daughter turned six, of her caterpillar state. He talks of her awkward movements, her dwindling number of teeth, and her sudden fear of the water. Yet he sees all of this as a beautiful time of playfulness and unaware future potential.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>Parents </em>and artifact #114 the typescript
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
July 1979
Annamary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/114" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Her Caterpillar Summer" typescript</a>
JPG, 8.5x14
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Magazine+article+xerox">Magazine article xerox</a>
"Her Caterpillar Summer" typescript
In the typescript of "Her Caterpillar Summer", Cormier tells of the summer when his daughter turned six, where she is still a caterpillar waiting to become a butterfly. He talks of her awkward movements, her dwindling number of teeth, and her sudden fear of the water. He cannot express with words his support for his daughter and she does not yet realize the weights of the changes that will come. The typescript features several crossings-out and handwritten additions.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Her Caterpillar Summer" Parents magazine</a>
JPG, 8.5x11 onion skin
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Typescript">Typescript</a>
"Advent and the Family" <em>Visitor</em>
Though this story by "Bob" Cormier is written in the third person, about a girl and her father, it reads as autobiographical. He recounts the daughter's last Christmas party and her father coming to grips with her growing up.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Bob+Cormier">Bob Cormier</a>
<em>Visitor</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
10 December 1978
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/80" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"The Last Party" John Fitch IV Column</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/71" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>"The Santa Problem" John Fitch IV Column</span></a>
JPG, 8.5x11 cardstock paper
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Xerox+of+newspaper+article">Xerox of newspaper article</a>
<em>Tenderness</em> Grade Level Defense
This piece presents a detailed rationale for teaching Cormier's <em>Tenderness</em> at or above the sixth-grade level. The defense includes a summary of the novel, a biography of Cormier, teaching objectives, suggested teaching methods, potential essay questions, and suitable alternative books. The rationale for the book's value cites its potential to teach students about antisocial behavior and life's perils, of thinking critically about their own identity formation, and of the adolescent experience given "inadequate parenting".
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nancy+Phol">Nancy Phol</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Grade+level+defense+and+analysis+for+the+book%27s+use+in+schools">Grade level defense and analysis for the book's use in schools</a>
"And So On -- Ten Years Old" John Fitch IV Column
<p>In this John Fitch IV column Cormier shares stories of his daughter as she turns 10, "a magic moment in life, poised between childhood and adolescence." Still obsessed with horses, she is now also becoming aware of fashion and her own appearance. Cormier recounts a particularly significant haircut, the piercing of her ears, and a crush on television star, David Soul, from <em>Starsky and Hutch</em>.</p>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
10 June 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/51" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>"The Hair Cut" John Fitch IV Column</span></a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
"And Do On -- Letter To A Child" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column Cormier tells the touching story of his daughter's concern over the treatment of horses on television. He urges her to write a letter to the organization, which she reluctantly does, and is amazed when she receives a response. His daughter is impressed with the letter's author for using "Ms" and signing with his first name as a mark of respect for children.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
16 March 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/69" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Crazy About Horses" John Fitch IV Column</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
"A Certain Child Is Interviewed" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier finds common humanity in comparing his own daughter with the daughter of newly-inaugurated president Jimmy Carter. He interviews his own daughter about the inauguration and recounts her forthright responses.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
28 January 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x14
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
"Trying To Convince My Heart" John Fitch IV Column
In this column Cormier shares the bittersweet feeling of a parent saying goodbye to his child, over and over again, as she grows up. Even in the happy moments of children's summer trip to camp, the Cape, or their first crushes, he feels a pang of loneliness to watch them grow further from home.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
23 August 1973
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5x14
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
"The Hair Cut" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier tells the story of his daughter's haircut experience, with all the excitement and anxiety that entails for a young girl. He touches on his own barbershop anxieties and his opinions on women's hairstyles. He is relieved that his daughter is happy with her new style but it still feels like the same person.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier%0D%0A">Robert Cormier
</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
5 June 1973
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/77" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"And So On -- Ten Years Old" John Fitch IV Column</a>
JPG, 8.5x14
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Newspaper+column">Newspaper column</a>
Robert Cormier's letter to Miss Marilyn Marlow 29 March 1968
This is a two-page typed letter to Marilyn Marlow of Curtis Brown Ltd. Literary agency. Cormier discusses his difficulty in settling on an idea for his new novel. One novel on a woman looking to be a nun reads dated to him and another is overtly sexual and repellent, so it also does not feel like a match. He also shares his experiences as a part-time "free-lancer" and returning part-time at the <em>Fitchburg</em> <em>Sentinel </em>as a means to support his family while trying to carve out time for novel writing. He invites Marilyn to visit him since he is unable to come to New York with the new baby.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
29 March 1968
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/138" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Miss Marilyn Marlow undated</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"My Father's Gamble" The Sign</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/41" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's letter to Miss Marilyn Marlow 4 October 1960</a>
JPG, 8.5x11 onion skin
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Letter">Letter</a>
Robert Cormier's letter to Dana 15 March 1989
In this letter to Dana, presumably a young reader, Cormier writes about finding inspiration for his novels in the lives of his children. He also speaks to the timeless nature of emotions, especially those of adolescence.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Robert+Cormier">Robert Cormier</a>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
15 March 1989
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, onion skin
English
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Letter">Letter</a>