Y O U N G A D U L T A U T H O R

Chris Crutcher

Chris Crutcher, prolific writer & banned author

Crutcher is one of the most frequently banned authors in the U.S.

Written 14 books .

Lives in Spokane, Washington.

Is a therapist & child protection advocate.

Books are funny, honest portrayals of teens growing up.

Driving force in his writing is “life, not art”

His writing is about PEOPLE.

Chris Crutcher as a Writer

Seeks to connect humans by his honest portrayal of both the ghastly and glorious.

A major theme in his books is the pursuit of TRUTH.

Believes that standing up for truth is a heroic act and always has a hero in his stories.

Has NEVER taken a writing class!

Feels like instructions does him no good – he would rather learn something from “the inside out.”

Proudly serves as vocal advocate AGAINST CENSORSHIP.

Chris Crutcher’s Themes

Crutcher’s Life Before Writing

Grew up in Cascade, Idaho

Son of a service station owner and homemaker Perpetual C student

Only read REQUIRED books

Liked To Kill a Mockingbird but found all other books disappointing Discovered a talent for writing when he wrote a last-minute book report on

a fake book – even selecting his author from the phone book. An accomplished athlete – captain of his college swim team.

Crutcher’s Many Jobs

Columnist for school newspaper

Maintenance man at Mt. Hood Ski Resort in Oregon

Primary and secondary school

teacher

Director of school for at-risk children

Family therapist

Crutcher’s Journey to Writer

Quits job as educator

Becomes a therapist

Publishes 1st novel

Running Loose

In 1981 at age 35 …

Fun Fact: Crutcher became

interested in writing while helping a running buddy

with a book.

First Book Running Loose (1981) wins major awards

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age

Booklist Editor's Choice

ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults

SLJ Best of the Best Book 2000

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993)

Sarah Byrnes is a grotesquely scarred teen with a hardened temperament.

Her friendship with Eric, a formerly obese swimmer, begins the process of healing from a lifetime of tragedy.

Follows Eric as he masters the swim team, solves the mystery of Sarah Byrnes, and learns empathy for others.

Potent topics such as child abuse, abortion, and religion drive this often funny portrayal of teen life.

Awards for Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

ALA Best Book for YA

SLJ Best Book for YA

American Booksellers Pick of the List

California Young Reader Medalist

1995 Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award

ALA Best of the Best Books for YA

Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

Deadline (2007)

Ben is diagnosed with a terminal illness his senior year of high school.

Instead of choosing treatment, Ben decides to make his year the best ever.

He does everything he always wanted to do – without fear since he has nothing to lose.

He becomes the star football player, dates the prettiest girl in school, and challenges the community in bigoted thinking.

During his year, he discovers horrors about the people he loves and learns to love them anyway.

Most people would find the secrets to be abhorrent yet this dying teen sees past human imperfections to find love.

Awards for Deadline South Dakota YARP list

Illinois Read for a Lifetime list

MASL Gateway Readers Award Nominee

Indiana Eliot Rosewater Teen Book Award Nominee

YRCA Readers Choice Nominee

Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee

GLMA Georgia Peach Award Nominee

New Hampshire FLUME Teen Readers Choice Award Nominee

Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award Nominee North Carolina SLMA Teen Book Award Nominee

Choose to Read Ohio Booklist

Chris Crutcher on Deadline

Reviews

Best Novel for Teens That Adults Would Love if They Knew About it Publisher's Weekly 2003 Cuffies (1/19/2004) "This honest, insightful, revealing autobiography is a joy to read." Booklist, STARRED REVIEW May 15, 2003 "Crutcher, best known for his novels and short stories, has discovered his most effective voice in this collection of episodic, autobiograhical essays." Horn Book May 3, 2003

King of the Mild Frontier An Ill-Advised Autobiography (2003)

Do you know:

A good reason to be phobic

about oysters and olives?

That you can step inside a

roaring coal furnace and feel cool?

That Jesus has an older brother?

Chris Crutcher knows the answers to these things and more …

Taken directly from inside dust jacket of book, Kind of the Mild Frontier by Chris Crutcher

Books by Chris Crutcher

Running Loose (1983)

Stotan! (1986)

The Crazy Horse Electric Game (1987)

Chinese Handcuffs (1989)

Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories (1991)

The Deep End (1991)

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993)

Ironman (1995)

Whale Talk (2001)

King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography (2003)

The Sledding Hill (2005)

Deadline (2007)

Angry Management (2009)

Period 8 (2012)

Author Awards for Chris Crutcher

ALA's 2000 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award

CLA's 2005 St. Katharine Drexel Award

Writer Magazine's 2004 Writers Who Make A Difference Award

NCTE's 1998 National Intellectual Freedom Award

ALAN Award

Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/schools/smhs/library/recommendations/stayingfatforsarahbyrnes.htm

(n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from Angie-ville.com: http://www.angie-ville.com/2010/07/retro-friday-review-staying-fat-for.html

(n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Doris Day Forum: http://www.dorisday.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=299

2000 Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner. (2006, September 29). Retrieved February 16, 2012, from ALA.org: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/margaretaedwards/maeprevious/2000awardwinner (Accessed February 16, 2012)

Author and Consultant Chris Crutcher. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2012, from Author and Consultant Chris Crutcher: http://www.chriscrutcher.com/index.html

Chris Crutcher. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Youtube: : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEN6FC8e98Q

Crutcher, C. (2003). King of the Mild Frontier, An Ill-Advised Autobiography. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.

Davis, T. (1997). Presenting Chris Crutcher. In Twayne's United States Authors Series Young Adult Authors #693 (pp. xix - 39). New York: Twayne Publishers.

King of the Mild Frontier. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Openlibrary.org: http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3555500M/King_of_the_mild_frontier

Reviews. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from fictionwritersreview.com: http://fictionwritersreview.com/reviews/youve-got-to-re-read-this-stotan-by-chris-crutcher