| Chris Crutcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17 1946 Dayton, Ohio |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genres | Young Adult literature |
| Debut works | Running Loose |
| Website | http://www.chriscrutcher.com |
Chris Crutcher is a contemporary American fiction writer and a family therapist.
Contents |
Biography
Crutcher was born to a World War II bomber pilot and a homemaker on July 17, 1946, in Dayton, Ohio. They later moved to Cascade, Idaho, where Crutcher grew up. He graduated from Eastern Washington State College with a BA in psychology and sociology. He taught primary and secondary school in California and Washington before beginning his writing career. More detailed information is included in his autobiography, King of the Mild Frontier. [1]
Writing
Crutcher's debut novel was Running Loose in 1983 about a senior in high school who has it all until life throws him for a few loops. Many of his novels concern teenaged athletes who have personal problems. Most of his protagonists are male, teenage athletes, often swimmers, and recurring supporting characters include a wise Asian-American teacher or coach and a caring journalism teacher. Chris Crutcher's writing is controversial, and has been frequently challenged [2] and even banned [3] by individuals who want to censor his books by removing them from libraries and classrooms. Running Loose and Athletic Shorts were on the ALA's top 100 list of most frequently challenged books for 1990-2000 [4]. His books generally feature teens coping with serious problems, including abusive parents, racial and religious prejudice, mental and physical disability, and poverty; these themes are viewed as too mature for children. Other cited reasons for censorship include strong language and depictions of homosexuality [5]. Despite this controversy, Crutcher's writing has received many awards. Crutcher has also written an autobiography called King of the Mild Frontier (2003), an adult novel titled The Deep End (1991), and Athletic Shorts (1991), an anthology of 6 YA short stories, some of which further explore characters from his previous novels. One of the stories from that compilation, "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune", was made into a film called Angus. The American Library Association has named eight of his books, “Best Books for Young Adults.” Chris Crutcher's biography Presenting Chris Crutcher was penned by fellow Spokane born author Terry Davis, another respected young-adult author.
Selected works
- Running Loose (1983)
- Stotan! (1986)
- The Crazy Horse Electric Game (1987)
- Chinese Handcuffs (1989)
- Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993)
- Ironman (1995)
- Whale Talk (2001)
- King of the Mild Frontier (2003)
- The Sledding Hill (2005)
- Deadline (2007)
Awards
- 2005 – Catholic Library Association St. Katherine Drexel Award, for outstanding contribution to the growth of high school librarianship.
- 2004 – Writer Magazine’s Writers Who Make a Difference Award. [1]
- 2002 – Washington State Book Award for Whale Talk.
- 2000 – American Library Association Margaret A. Edwards Award, presented by Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) for lifetime contribution to young adult literature.
- 2000 – Four of his books appear on Booklist's Best 100 Books of the 20th Century. [1]
- 1998 – The NCTE SLATE Intellectual Freedom Award. [1]
- 1993 – The ALAN Award. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e http://www.chriscrutcher.com/content/blogcategory/20/9/ Author, Chris Crutcher- Crutcher Bio
- ^ Western Iowa district pulls book from classroom. Sioux City Journal (02/25/2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Associated Press (03/11/2005). Alabama school bans children's book, Whale Talk. The First Amendment Center. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm ALA 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000
- ^ http://www.chriscrutcher.com/content/blogcategory/56/45/ Author, Chris Crutcher- Censorship
