Chris Crutcher - Writing

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. Running Loose and Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories were on the ALA's top 100 list of most frequently challenged books for 1990-2000. 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. 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: Six Short Stories (1991), an anthology of six 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".

Crutcher's writing is noted for its wit and humor, and as a result of his propensity towards ribaldry (i.e. bawdy humor), is often considered to be the truest replication of adolescent thought patterns produced by someone over the age of 20. According to a close friend, Crutcher is quite proud of the fact that he has "grossed out three generations."