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[CCBC-Net] Cormier's Books
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From: Wojtyla, Karen <KWojtyla>
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 15:30:40 -0400
Ginny, you asked about Fade being published as an adult book, which is not quite what happened. I was not at Delacorte at that time (1988), but looking back at the file, I see that it was published first on our list and later featured in the adult catalog. Another interesting fact I noticed is that Fabio Coen at Pantheon wanted to do the same thing for After the First Death but was not able to get the book into their adult catalog. He did, however, send it to both adult and children's reviewers. And, back to Fade again, two incredibly positive advance quotes came from adult authors--Stephen King and Harlan Ellison.
I'm sure part of the reason for these attempts to cross over to the adult market was to try to find a wider audience for Bob's work. There is a vein of frustration that runs through children's publishers, and perhaps ran closer to the surface then, that books written for kids are perceived as less interesting or literary than adult books. Certainly, until very recently--hats off to J. K. Rowling--children's books almost never sold in the numbers that popular adult novels do.
As for Frenchtown Summer, it began with one story, "The Airplane," which now forms the last chapter. When I asked Bob if he could expand it he was delighted. It was explicitly autobiographical and Bob very much enjoyed working on it. He often called the book a "labor of love."
Karen Wojtyla
Message----From: Ginny Moore Kruse [mailto:gmkruse at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Monday, August 27, 2001 6:40 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: [CCBC-Net] Cormier's Books
I've just finished reading all of the messages concerning Robert Cormier's books. I want to reflect on you've written about his works, and I probably won't get that accomplished before the end of August. Although I admire most of his books greatly, my personal favorites continue to be I Am the Cheese and After the First Death.
I'd like to mention that several of Cormier's books, such as Fade and A Little Raw on Monday Mornings, were published as adult books - and at very different points in Bob's career. Karen Wojtyla, I wonder if you - as his editor during part of his career - have anything to add about such publication decisions, especially the decision about to publish Fade as an adult book.
Even though several - perhaps many - of the messages this month have referred to Cormier's moral compass, I'm surprised that no one has commented - yet - on the Christian symbolism in some of his books, particularly in Beyond the Chocolate War.
It's also interesting that near the end of his career, Bob's writing seemed to become more explicitly autobiographical, as in Frenchtown Summer.
- Ginny
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison
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Received on Tue 28 Aug 2001 02:30:40 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 15:30:40 -0400
Ginny, you asked about Fade being published as an adult book, which is not quite what happened. I was not at Delacorte at that time (1988), but looking back at the file, I see that it was published first on our list and later featured in the adult catalog. Another interesting fact I noticed is that Fabio Coen at Pantheon wanted to do the same thing for After the First Death but was not able to get the book into their adult catalog. He did, however, send it to both adult and children's reviewers. And, back to Fade again, two incredibly positive advance quotes came from adult authors--Stephen King and Harlan Ellison.
I'm sure part of the reason for these attempts to cross over to the adult market was to try to find a wider audience for Bob's work. There is a vein of frustration that runs through children's publishers, and perhaps ran closer to the surface then, that books written for kids are perceived as less interesting or literary than adult books. Certainly, until very recently--hats off to J. K. Rowling--children's books almost never sold in the numbers that popular adult novels do.
As for Frenchtown Summer, it began with one story, "The Airplane," which now forms the last chapter. When I asked Bob if he could expand it he was delighted. It was explicitly autobiographical and Bob very much enjoyed working on it. He often called the book a "labor of love."
Karen Wojtyla
Message----From: Ginny Moore Kruse [mailto:gmkruse at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Monday, August 27, 2001 6:40 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: [CCBC-Net] Cormier's Books
I've just finished reading all of the messages concerning Robert Cormier's books. I want to reflect on you've written about his works, and I probably won't get that accomplished before the end of August. Although I admire most of his books greatly, my personal favorites continue to be I Am the Cheese and After the First Death.
I'd like to mention that several of Cormier's books, such as Fade and A Little Raw on Monday Mornings, were published as adult books - and at very different points in Bob's career. Karen Wojtyla, I wonder if you - as his editor during part of his career - have anything to add about such publication decisions, especially the decision about to publish Fade as an adult book.
Even though several - perhaps many - of the messages this month have referred to Cormier's moral compass, I'm surprised that no one has commented - yet - on the Christian symbolism in some of his books, particularly in Beyond the Chocolate War.
It's also interesting that near the end of his career, Bob's writing seemed to become more explicitly autobiographical, as in Frenchtown Summer.
- Ginny
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
mailto:ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu To send a request to remove your address from the mailing list, click on...
mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Tue 28 Aug 2001 02:30:40 PM CDT
