"Dear Dad"
This magazine article tells the story of several fathers whose daughters have left home for college. Interviews with sets of fathers and daughters echo themes of tension between fathers and daughters particularly regarding emotional intimacy and communication as well as newfound understandings of one another. A portion of the article details Cormier's memory of the night before his daughter left for college and he both faced the reality that she was not a child and recalled scenes from her childhood. The article also mentions the communication and letter writing habits of fathers and how they differ from those of mothers. Mothers focus on daily life, grades, and health while fathers talk about boys and political or social issues of the day.
<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 Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
September 1970
Annamary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, magazine
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">Magazine article</a>
"The Last Party" John Fitch IV Column
In this John Fitch IV column, Cormier explores the growth trajectory of his daughter from childhood to adolescence, this time through the lens of her last Christmas party and her evolving views about Santa Claus. Ironically, the writer seems to be more caught up in the "magic and mystery" of the holiday than his daughter.
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</a>
<em>Fitchburg Sentinel</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
23 December 1977
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span>"Advent and the Family" Visitor</span></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, 8.5x14
English
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"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
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"A Bad Time for Fathers" <em>Woman's Day</em>
This short piece recounts Cormier's bittersweet feelings as his daughter prepares to leave for college in Boston. The father shares an awkward exchange with the daughter's boyfriend, who is also distraught that he will be far away from her. While the father looks down on the boyfriend as a clutz and annoyance, he also identifies with him and perceives him as a competitor for his daughter's affection.
<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 1970
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
JPG, 8.5 x 11 magazine 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=Magazine+short+story">Magazine short story</a>
"Charlie Mitchell, You Rat, Be Kind to My Little Girl" <em>McCall's</em>
<p>This short story features a father coming to grips with his daughter falling in love for the first time. It is difficult not to read this story as autobiographical or to overlook theĀ gender bias regarding a woman's ability to think logically. This story was later revised and published in <em>Woman's Own</em> under the title, "Goodbye Little Girl".</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">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>McCall's</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
April 1969
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/137" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Goodbye Little Girl" Woman's Own</a>
JPG, 10 3/8 x 13 1/4
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>
"Goodbye Little Girl" <em>Woman's Own</em>
<p>In Cormier's short story "Goodbye Little Girl" a father comes to grips with his daughter encountering her first love. The father is skeptical of the boy and expresses sadness in the idea of being replaced by a boy who can make her happy when he cannot. This story is a revised version of "Charlie Mitchell, You Rat, Be Kind to My Little Girl" published in <em>McCall's</em> three months earlier.</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">Robert Cormier</a>
<em>Woman's Own</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
5 July 1969
AnnaMary L. Consalvo
Katharine Covino
Elise Takehana
<a href="https://robertcormiertwistedintimacy.omeka.net/items/show/136">"Charlie Mitchell, You Rat, Be Kind to My Little Girl" McCall's</a>
JPG, 10 3/8 x 13 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>
1177 Main St. USA, June 1972
In this column, Cormier writes of staying up late waiting for his college-aged daughter and high school-aged son to come home on a Friday night. He takes pleasure in their little evening rituals and small talk and thinks back to his father's own habit of only sleeping well when all his children were at home.
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<em>St. Anthony's Messenger</em>
Robert E. Cormier Collection at Fitchburg State University's Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
June 1972
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>