Monseau considers student letters to Cormier's characters to argue that identifying with Cormier's characters helps students develop strength in their own identity.
Cormier describes the outcomes and actions of defenders in censorship battles in South Carolina and Massachusetts. Attached is a newspaper clipping on a South Carolina censorship battle.
Cormier writes about how different emotional revelations drove him to write The Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese, and Fade and how crucial emotion is to the success of his writing.
Cormier describes how his realistic fiction needs to include aspects of life that are less desirable because they are a part of life. He also mentions his distaste for the movie The Chocolate War.
Cormier describes how Jerry was his most significant challenge in writing Beyond the Chocolate War. He also talks about his tentative work on a potential third novel.