Jump to content

Chris Crutcher

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 143.111.80.26 (talk) at 15:30, 29 March 2013 (→‎Writing). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Chris Crutcher
Crutcher
Crutcher
Born (1946-07-17) July 17, 1946 (age 78)
Dayton, Ohio, USA
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
Period1983–present
GenreYoung Adult novels, short stories
Notable awardsMargaret Edwards Award
2000
Website
www.chriscrutcher.com

Chris Crutcher (born July 17, 1946) is an American novelist and a family therapist. He won the annual Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 recognizing his "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature".[1][a]

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 (now called Eastern Washington University) 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: An Ill-Advised Autobiography.[2]

Chris Crutcher's biography Presenting Chris Crutcher (1997, Twayne Publishers) was penned by fellow Spokane born author Terry Davis, another young-adult author.

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[3] and even banned[4][5] by individuals who want to censor his books by removing them from libraries and classrooms. Running Loose and Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories were on the ALA's top 100 list of most frequently challenged books for 1990-2000.[6] 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.[7] 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 two collections of short stories, Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories (1991) and Angry Management (2009), some of which further explore characters from his previous novels. One of the stories from Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories, "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune", was made into a film called Angus.

Selected works

Books

Short stories

  • A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune - First appeared in Connections, edited by Donald R. Gallo, published in 1989 by Delacorte Press. Also published in Crutcher's collection Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories.
  • Superboy - Ultimate Sports: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults, edited by Donald R. Gallo, published in 1995 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
  • Popeye the Sailor - Dirty Laundry: Stories About Family Secrets, edited by Lisa Rowe Fraustino, published in 1998 Viking Juvenile.
  • Fourth and Too Long - Time Capsule: Short Stories About Teenagers Throughout the Twentieth Century, edited by Donald R. Gallo, published in 1999 by Laurel Leaf.
  • Guns for Geeks - On the Fringe, edited by Donald R. Gallo, published in 2001 by Dial Books.
  • "O" Foods - Guys Write for Guys Read, edited by Jon Scieszka, published in 2005 by Viking. (Autobiographic)

Awards

The ALA has named eight of his books to the annual list of "Best Books for Young Adults".

See also

Notelist

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h The lifetime Edwards Award recognizes a specified body of work for "helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world." The 1997 panel cited six of Crutcher's books published from 1983 to 1993: Running Loose, Stotan!, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, Chinese Handcuffs, Athletic Shorts, and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.

References

  1. ^ a b "Margaret A. Edwards Winners" (to 2008). Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). ALA. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
    As of March 2013 the Award homepage at YALSA, "Edwards Award", incorporates a list of recipient names to 2012, each linked to its Edwards Award citation.
  2. ^ a b Author, Chris Crutcher – Crutcher Bio.
  3. ^ "Western Iowa district pulls book from classroom". Sioux City Journal. February 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-10. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Associated Press (March 11, 2005). "Alabama school bans children's book, Whale Talk". The First Amendment Center. Retrieved 2007-03-10. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ http://librarian.lishost.org/?p=716 [dead link]
  6. ^ ALA 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.
  7. ^ Author, Chris Crutcher – Censorship.
  8. ^ "ALAN Awards". ALAN Online. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  9. ^ "Profiles". NCTE Council Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  10. ^ Anonymous. The Writer. Boston: Jan 2004. Vol. 117, Iss. 1; pg. 21
  11. ^ "St. Katherine Drexel Awards". Catholic Library Association. Retrieved 2010-03-03. [dead link]
  12. ^ Cole, Pamela Burress. Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Pg.74. Print.

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Crutcher&oldid=547633372"