Robert Cormier's email to Paul Swaddle 12 February 1999
Cormier responds to the "In Brief" team's follow-up questions, He sees the challenges of honest storytelling as timeless; he describes his adolescence as normal with "pits and peaks"; and he finds it difficult to put into words his affinity for Frenchtown.
<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
12 February 1999
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/97" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 11 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/96" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's email to Fiona, Gudrun, Lucy, and Paul 4 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/95" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 3 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/39">Robert Cormier's email to Fiona, Gudrun, Lucy, and Paul 3 February 1999</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
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Robert Cormier's email to Fiona, Gudrun, Lucy, and Paul 4 February 1999
In this response to the interview questions from the "In Brief" team, Cormier discusses his love of words, the politically conservative climate, the horror of the commonplace, and his admiration of other writers, especially Graham Greene. The topics of adolescence, Frenchtown, journalism, and young adult literature also feature prominently.
<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
4 February 1999
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/98" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert Cormier's email to Paul Swaddle 12 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/97" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 11 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/95" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul Swaddle's email to Robert Cormier 3 February 1999</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/39">Robert Cormier's email to Fiona, Gudrun, Lucy, and Paul 3 February 1999</a>
JPG, 8.5x11
English
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"The Good Word" John Fitch IV Column
In this column, Cormier discusses the new style guide released by the New York Times, particularly their recommendations related to gender-linked language. Of particular offense to him is the substitution of person for man and the use of the pronoun Ms.
<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
11 February 1976
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/78" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Writer and Feminist" John Fitch IV Column</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/61" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>"The Sexes And The Guidelines" John Fitch IV Column</span></a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/59" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Not Exactly Speaking 'Personally'" 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>
"The Sexes And The Guidelines" John Fitch IV Column
In his column, Cormier rails against the suggestions of publishers that writers be more mindful of gender-linked language - a trend he sees as ridiculous and potentially dangerous to creativity as it could trigger excessive self-censorship. While he supports removing "ess" from poetess or Jewess as a decluttering of language, other changes appear clunky to him, like replacing "man" with "person" or demonizing descriptions of women by their physical traits.
<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
1 October 1974
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/78" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Writer and Feminist" John Fitch IV Column</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/67" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"The Good Word" John Fitch IV Column</a><br /><a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/59" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Not Exactly Speaking 'Personally'" 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>