Re: Crutcher

[MISSNERM@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU]

I was fortunate enought to be able to hear Chris Crutcher at the
Wisconsin Library Association conference last Wednesday.  I am impressed
with the poignency of his writing.  I had wondered if he was abused and
that the stoires he writes reflect his life.  Acutally he is or was a
thrapist for young adults and his stoires come from his practice.  He
said that his childhood and adolescence were normal.  He was not a good
student and would "borrow" from his older brother.  He also would make up
book reports using names fromthe Boise phone directory for authors names.
The college he picked was not terribly selective and he went there
because of the color of the catalog.

I use his material in booktalks and just read two  shorts stories from
_Athletic Shorts_ to my homeroon (ninth graders).  When talking about age
appropriateness I believe that Crutchers work could have easily been
marketed as adult literature--anyway, some of it.   I think that it is
the reader who should be considered not so much the age of the person or
the grade!!!

Michele

Michele Missner
Appleton High School West
610 N. Badger
Appleton, wi 54914
voice (414) 832-4162 (business)
            730-0768 (home)
fax (414) 832-6239

Bitnet   -  missnerm@oshkoshw
Internet -  missnerm@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu