Browse Items (8 total)

Beesley letter001.jpg
Virginia Beesley's typewritten two-page letter to Robert Cormier is an emotional epistle of her reading of After the First Death. She conveys both anger at Cormier for writing the book and admiration for writing it so skillfully. It is not clear…

Jamie Lavendar letter.jpg
In this one-page, typed letter by Jamie Lavender, a high school student living in Lakewood, New Jersey, and dated 20 October 1983, the writer wrestles with the question of the purpose of fiction. S/he believes it is to "free the mind" not "burden" it…

Obrien letter001.jpg
In this three-page, handwritten letter by 12-year-old Alyssa O'Brien, the reader is introduced to a thoughtful young woman who has read several of Cormier's books twice or more in the interest of better understanding a book as time goes by. That she…

Whyatt001.jpg
In this hand-written letter, Sally-Anne shares with Cormier a number of quotes from After the First Death exploring the idea that Mark and Ben are the same character. She also asks a number of questions that are left obscured in the novel - having to…

agee veazey essay001.jpg
In this scholarly article, written by Hugh Agee and Eugenia Vazey, the authors explore the narrative ambiguity of After the First Death through the lens of student responses. Drawing from writing produced by his college class of English education…

Silver Lake Mrs. Barbara Anti lett049.tif
Mrs. Anti writes of her students' interest and enthusiasm for Robert Cormier's book After the First Death. She invites him to speak to the class, promising a captivated audience, gas mileage, and school lunch.

Silver Lake Rachel Flynn lett038.tif
Rachel shares her enthusiasm for After the First Death and her curiosity regarding points of confusion in the novel, which she hopes he will discuss in a class visit. She mentions the fun the class had producing the newspaper project.

Silver Lake Stephanie Synder lett047.tif
Stephanie formally invites Robert Cormier to visit Mrs. Anti's class and shares her faith in the author as the key to understanding a book's meaning.
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