Into the minds of teenagers

When the American Library Association named Chris Crutcher the 2000 recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults on Monday, he became the latest author heralded for his work with and for American teens.

Crutcher joined 11 other literary luminaries (including M.E. Kerr, Judy Blume, Walter Dean Myers and Gary Paulsen) honored by the ALA's Young Adult Library Services Association. But Spokanites have enjoyed the compassionate reach of his talents for years.

"That's because Chris will say things no one else has the courage to say," says University of South Florida adolescent literacy expert Dr. Joan Kaywell. "Chris is known for straight talk and his commitment to unwavering truth."

With a string of seven critically acclaimed "coming of age" novels under his belt -- including "Ironman" and "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes" (a story optioned by Hollywood producer Penny Marshall) -- the 53-year-old Crutcher's outspoken take on the truth seems to have hit a societal nerve.

"That's because most parents won't talk to their kids about anything important," says Spokane-born novelist and Crutcher biographer Terry Davis ("Vision Quest"). "They are paralyzed by fear, so Crutcher becomes a literary stand-in. He talks about how life and sexuality and yearning and bad people really work. Kids know, if they want answers, an adult like Crutcher who has seen some `real' life isn't going to tell them lies."

Neither will he flinch at telling brutal truths. Crutcher's first novel, "Running Loose," not only dealt honestly with teenage sex (his protagonist opted to wait), but with death and injustice as well. Subsequent novels explored topics including incest, alcoholism, drug abuse, neglect, suicide, homosexuality and physical abuse.

Crutcher's upbringing as a jock in small-town Cascade, Idaho, might not have prepared him to write books about life-threatening problems. But his work as a teacher, nearly a decade as the director of a California alternative school and 19 years as a family therapist in Spokane certainly have.

"I think about 95 percent of therapy is making a connection," Crutcher says. "Anything that has to do with belonging is therapeutic."

That same mindset helps drive his award-winning novels. Crutcher sets out to write the best, most honest book he can and trusts his readers to find a connection based on that truth. "There are kids out there who have been molested and feel like it's their fault; kids who know kids struggling with these challenges," he says. "When they see themselves in my books, they realize they're not so isolated."

Of course, not all of Crutcher's readers feel disenfranchised. But his truth still has a familiar ring. "I got a letter the other day from a girl. She said, `I'm not one of those people on the outside, but I've treated people like that. Now I'm gonna make a conscious choice to treat people better.'" Are Crutcher's books all heavy thinking? Not at all, Davis says. "Crutcher is a very funny guy. Just check out his answering machine if you have any doubt."

"You have reached the home of Chris Crutcher, author of the bestselling self-help book, `How to Commit Suicide or Die Trying,'" Crutcher has been known to say on his machine. Or, "You have reached ... beyond your grasp. But leave a message anyway."

Sports is another vehicle Crutcher uses to attain literary balance. "There are natural parallels between sports and life," he says. "It's not a smart idea to try to separate mind and body. And I grew up in a place where sports were really important, so everyone played. When I go back to find my 17- or 18-year-old voice, sports is part of it."

Does Crutcher believe his books have impacted the mental health of American teens? "People have said my books save lives," he admits, "but I don't really think of it that way. I know good stories can change lives. But that's because they open discussion. And discussion is always a good thing, no matter how disturbing the subject might be."

And what if the subject is a lifetime achievement award for authors from the Inland Northwest? "Of course, the award is nice," he says. "And I'm flattered.

"But that's not really what it's all about. It's about belonging - creating places where people can belong, in books, in schools, or in therapy. If we use belonging as our standard," Crutcher says, "we can't go in the wrong direction. If we use that as a guide, we all come out ahead."

This sidebar appeared with the story:

EDWARDS AWARD

Past winners

Past Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults Winners:

1999 - Anne McCaffrey

1998 - Madeleine L'Engle

1997 - Gary Paulsen

1996 - Judy Blume

1995 - Cynthia Voigt

1994 - Walter Dean Myers

1993 - M.E. Kerr

1992 - Lois Duncan

1991 - Robert Cormier

1990 - Richard Peck

1989 - No award

1988 - S.E. Hinton

Copyright 2000 Cowles Publishing Company
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.