Chris Crutcher (born July 17, 1946) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
and a
family therapist
Family therapy (also referred to as family counseling, family systems therapy, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy) is a branch of psychology and clinical social work that works with families and couples in intimate relationsh ...
. He received the
Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award is an American Library Association (ALA) literary award that annually recognizes an author and "a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". It is named afte ...
from the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
in 2000 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
Biography
Crutcher was born July 17, 1946 to a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
B17 bomber pilot and a homemaker in Dayton, Ohio.
A few weeks after his birth, his father gave up flying and the family moved to his mother's hometown of
Cascade
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Science and technology Science
*Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls
* Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex)
* Cascade (grape), a type of fruit
* Bioc ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
where his father could open an oil and gas wholesale business and he could grow up.
[
After graduating from high school, Crutcher attended Eastern Washington State College (before
Eastern Washington University) where he swam competitively and earned a BA in psychology and sociology.][ With no post-graduation plans or prospects, he went back to Eastern and got a teaching certificate.
Crutcher taught at several primary and secondary schools in California and Washington before beginning his writing career.][ After his first book was completed, he joined Spokane's Child Protection Team and began practicing as a child and family therapist.][
]
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 and even banned by individuals who want to censor his books by removing them from libraries and classrooms. '' Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories'' and ''Running Loose'' were #63 and #92 on the ALA list of 100 books most frequently challenged during the 1990s. 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 by some as too mature for children. Other cited reasons for censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
include strong language and depictions of homosexuality. 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
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
''.
The ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award is an American Library Association (ALA) literary award that annually recognizes an author and "a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". It is named afte ...
recognizes one writer and a particular body of work for "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature" and "helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world." Crutcher won the annual award in 2000 when the panel cited six books published from 1983 to 1993: ''Running Loose'', ''Stotan!'', ''The Crazy Horse Electric Game'', ''Chinese Handcuffs'', ''Athletic Shorts'', and ''Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes'' (‡). All were edited by Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Corp ...
. The panel chair observed that " s stories bring to life the contemporary teen world, including its darker side. Sarah Byrnes suffers facial deformity caused by her father's deliberate cruelty. Jennifer Lawless dreads the nights her stepfather forces his sexual advances on her. ... Crutcher takes teenagers seriously and cares about them."[
]
Selected works
Books
* ''Running Loose'' (1983) ‡
* ''Stotan!'' (1986) ‡
* ''The Crazy Horse Electric Game'' (1990 +
* '' Chinese Handcuffs'' (1989) ‡
* '' Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories'' (1991) ‡
* ''The Deep End'' (1992)
* '' Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes'' (1993) ‡
* '' Ironman'' (1995)
* ''Whale Talk
''Whale Talk'' is a 2001 novel by young adult writer Chris Crutcher. It is narrated in the first person by the quick-witted, sarcastic, and athletic "T.J." Jones, an adopted Asian-African-European-American teenager living in Cutter, Washingto ...
'' (2001)
* ''King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography'' (2003)
* '' The Sledding Hill'' (2005)
* ''Deadline
Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to:
* Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain
* ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...
'' (2007)
* ''Angry Management'' (2009)
* ''Period 8'' (2013)
* ''Losers Bracket'' (2018)
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
Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
. Also published in Crutcher's collection '' Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories''. Adapted into a film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
in 1995.
* "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
* 1993 – The ALAN Award from The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents ALAN, The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents is a teachers organization in the United States, an independent assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Founded in November 1973, ALAN is made up of teachers, authors, libraria ...
for Significant Contribution to Adolescent Literature
* 1998 – The National Council of Teachers of English
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum ...
(NCTE/SLATE) Intellectual Freedom Award for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom
* 2000 ALA Edwards Award[
* 2004 – '']The Writer
''The Writer'' is a magazine for writers, published monthly by Madavor Media.
History
''The Writer'' was first established by William H. Hills and Robert Luce, two ''Boston Globe'' reporters, as "a monthly magazine to interest and help all lit ...
'' magazine Writers Who Make a Difference Award
* 2005 – Catholic Library Association St. Katherine Drexel Award for outstanding contribution to the growth of high school librarianship
* 2005 – Intellectual Freedom Award from the National Coalition Against Censorship
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 American non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. NCAC is a New York-bas ...
[Cole, Pamela Burress. Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Pg.74. Print.]
The ALA has named eight of his books to the annual list of "Best Books for Young Adults".
See also
References
External links
*
All Info About Teen Reading – The Books of Chris Crutcher
Kids Right To Read Project interview with Chris Crutcher
Betty Greenway, ''The ALAN Review'' 22:1 (Fall 1994)
Chris Crutcher
at Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
Authorities —with 21 catalog records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crutcher, Chris
1946 births
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American children's writers
American male novelists
Margaret A. Edwards Award winners
American writers of young adult literature
Eastern Washington University alumni
Living people
People from Cascade, Idaho
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers