In his 22 March 1998 response to Khaled Khalaf's letter, Robert Cormier shares where he got ideas for characters in his book Tunes for Bears to Dance To.
In this brief, half-page letter of reply to Justin, Robert Cormier appears to address Justin's questions that may have been posed in his letter to Cormier about Tunes for Bears to Dance To and After the First Death. Cormier relates his purposes in…
In his two-page "random" response to Jennifer Cowan, as one of several (or more) classmates who wrote, Robert Cormier reveals that After the First Death is told from the point of view of Ben's father. He refers to a pamphlet he enclosed and hoped…
This May 7, 2000, one-page letter by Robert Cormier to Jason Campbell at the American School in Dubai, appears to address questions about where he gets his ideas for writing. Referenced are Tunes for Bears to Dance To and Tenderness. For Tunes,…
In this one-page, typed response to Hall Alexander, dated May 7, 2000, Robert Cormier explains one of the plot knots that Hall had queried him about regarding We All Fall Down. Cormier describes a trail of consistent characters' reactions given the…
In this two-page typed letter by Robert Cormier to three Alabama middle school students, Daniel Lowe, Jonathan Osborne, and Ryan Dvorak, Cormier apologizes for combining his responses but answers each query in turn. He shares that, yes, he was…
This typed two-page letter by Robert Cormier dated 9 Dec 1991 to "Craig" is written line-by-line responses to Craig's editorial questions concerning a draft of Tunes for Bears to Dance To.
In this five-page typewritten letter from Cormier to (who appears to be his editor) Craig, dated 29 Jan 1991, there are pages of line-by-line changes in the manuscript of We All Fall Down. These changes appear to be among the most final, perhaps at…
In this one-page typed letter dated April 14, 1998, from Robert Cormier to Brooke Hausman and Carly Meltzer, he shares his writing technique of "gradual release," that it takes him 1.5 to 2 years to write a book, and that emotions are the engine for…
Robert Cormier's letter to Betsy Larsen, answered only three weeks after her letter was written, thanks her for writing. In it, he explains one detail she picked up on: the fallen hammer in Tunes for Bears to Dance To. He gives her a glimpse into his…
Robert Cormier wrote a rather long, two-page letter in response to Alyssa O'Brien's letter to him. He encouraged her in her quest to be a writer and mentioned that he found her writing to be very clear. He was touched that she had read so many of his…
In this one-page typed letter, Robert Cormier addresses the teacher of a class of students who have sent him their projects. He wrote back to them, and as a cover, included this cover letter to their teacher, Mrs. Anti. Generously, he offers to…
In this brief, but appreciative letter, Robert Cormier thanks Amanda for writing, expresses satisfaction that she has transformed herself into a reader, and offers an explanation for the title Tunes for Bears to Dance To, about which she inquired in…
Robert Cormier's warm response in the form of a two-page typed letter to Louise DeSalvo, dated August 9, 1998, gives her the permission she sought from him in her original letter of July 28, 1998. He responds with admiration for the scholarship…
Robert Cormier responds to Karen's request for thoughts on a cover design for We All Fall Down. Cormier admits he likes the concept but thinks the figures in the window should be further up in the foreground and comments that the Jerome home has two…