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Letter from Robert Cormier to Liz 10 June 1995
Cormier discusses the futility of censorship in protecting children from the world.
Letter from Robert Cormier to Gloria 26 January 1987
Cormier summarizes a number of censorship attacks on his books in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida. He also mentions how he responds to censorship attempts of his work.
Letter from Robert Cormier to Deborah Fones 14 December 1986
This incomplete document includes Cormier's explanation for why a writer cannot consider a reader's response while writing because it risks producing bland work.
Letter from Robert Cormier to Debbie Denzer
Cormier discusses his feelings of helplessness in censorship battles. He also expresses his admiration for the teachers and librarians who support his writing and share it with young readers.
Robert Cormier's drafts of his chapter on censorship
Assorted draft pages of Cormier's chapter on censorship later included in his essay "A Book Is Not a House: The Human Side of Censorship."
Robert Cormier's conference talk on fear - draft
Cormier describes how the source of fear is not in monsters on the screen or in books but those in our minds. He also describes a mother reading his novels along with her eighth-grade son.
Signed points on censorship
Robert Cormier provides four bulleted points on his thoughts on censorship. These are frequently included in his letters to fans and objectors who write to him on censorship. He later added a fifth point addressing his distaste for defending his…
Autobiographical sketch draft
This draft describes how Cormier shared a draft of The Chocolate War with his 15-year-old daughter to test Fabio Coen's idea that the excised chapter is unnecessary to the story. He then expresses his thanks for his network of supporters and family.
Letter from Robert Cormier to Art 17 January 1987
Cormier responds to Art's concerns about the Salem censorship battle by describing the Panama City censorship of I Am the Cheese. The idea of protecting children through censorship and precautionary censorship makes up a large portion of the letter.
Letter from Robert Cormier to Annie, Safa, et al. 25 February 1987
Robert Cormier writes to a class about how a character's development follows inevitable paths. He also addresses how the sequel to The Chocolate War aims to address readers' questions. Cormier later discusses the dangers of precautionary…
Letter from Robert Cormier to Jan Wallace
Thanks and commiseration with a teacher facing a censorship battle.
Conference talk in Australia
A speech on self-censorship and parenting serves as Cormier's response to censorship attempts of The Chocolate War.
Marion Dane Bauer's article "The Censor Within"
Bauer discusses how morality is not a useful criterion to judge literature before going on to interpret the misunderstandings censors have of children's minds. She also explores how censorship directed at children may differ from that of adults.