Chris Crutcher

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Chris Crutcher
Born:	July 17, 1946 (age 60) 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.

1 Biography
2 Writing
3 Selected Works
4 Awards
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Biography

Crutcher was born to a World War II bomber pilot and a homemaker on July 7, 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. ^[1]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Selected Works

The Sledding Hill (2005)
Whale Talk (2001)
Ironman (1995)
Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes (1993)
Chinese Handcuffs (1989)
The Crazy Horse Electric Game (1987)
Stotan! (1986)
Running Loose (1983)