Chris Crutcher
Interview by Gavin J. Grant

All six of Chris Crutcher's young adult novels, and his collection of short stories, Athletic Shorts, were selected as ALA Best Books for Young Adults. In 2000, he was awarded the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award, honoring his lifetime contribution in writing for teens. Drawing on his experience as an athlete, teacher, family therapist, and child protection specialist, he unflinchingly writes about real and often-ignored issues that face teenagers today. But besides all that, his books are great. Most of them are about high school athletes, and whether you care about sports or not, you'll be drawn into these stories. His latest novel is Whale Talk (a Book Sense 76 Pick*), where T.J., a strong athlete with a non-partipatory streak, gets talked into helping begin a swim team at his high school. Of course, being a bit of a rebel, T.J. can't do it the easy way...

BookSense.com: Where did the title, Whale Talk, come from?

Chris Crutcher: Whale Talk is a metaphor for telling the truth. The main character's father, whose past includes a genuinely heartbreaking wound, talks about how, when a whale experiences anguish or joy, his "talk" or sounds can be heard for hundreds or even thousands of miles, and every whale who runs into those sounds knows more of the truth of being a whale. Pretty much opposite of how humans do things, more often wanting to keep their truths quiet.

Do you like sports? Were you a high school jock? Are you involved in sports (high school coaching or otherwise) now?

I do like sports. I was a high school jock, but mostly because I came from a school so small that nearly every able bodied person played so there would be enough for a team. I don't coach anything, but I still play basketball and run and swim on a regular basis.

High school sports seem to be getting more and more attention from the media, professional sports teams, and corporate sponsors. If you had your way, would you encourage this?

I don't mind that it gets attention, I mind that it's elevated above other activities that take just as much talent and dedication, and I mind that in so many cases athletes are given second and third and fourth chances when other students aren't. In most cases, all students deserve second and third and fourth chances.

Education budgets are increasingly coming from nongovernmental sources and the emphasis in schools is more on rote learning to pass exams rather than skills that might translate into the non-school environment. Within this milieu, can you see ways to give students second, third, and fourth chances?

I don't see ways not to give them chances. Even with all the craziness about so-called accountability, we still have relationships with every student who comes into our spheres of influence.

When you're writing, are you consciously trying to avoid writing easy or uplifting stories?

I don't consciously avoid anything. I try to tell the best story I can tell. I get the idea, start working on the characters and go where it takes me. Most of the "evaluation" about whether it's uplifting or not comes after the fact. While I'm writing, the story is the only thing that matters.

Why do you write young adult (YA) novels?

Probably because I know a lot about teenagers. I remember my own teenage years and I do a lot of work as a therapist with teens now. It's a time that's ripe for storytelling; there are plenty of conflicts built into those years developmentally. I've also written an adult novel and at some point plan to write more. I'm just not finished writing about teenagers yet.

Which one of your books do you get the most reaction from?

Maybe Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. I get a lot of reaction from all of them, though I think for some reason that one struck a chord in more places.

Have any of your books ever been banned?

I think they've all been banned somewhere. Usually they get banned in middle schools. I know they've all been challenged many times.

Why do adults often seem to feel embarrassed about reading YA novels?

Probably because of the way they're packaged. I'd do that quite differently if I ran the zoo. Books that were mainstream in the fifties and sixties are now called YA because of marketing techniques. I think it limits their readership.

What are you reading?

Right now I'm reading David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day. Absolutely hilarious.

Do you have any books you'd like to recommend?

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Those are off the top of my head. I could recommend many. There are a lot of good books out there.

Do you have a local and/or favorite bookshop?

Auntie's Bookstore[1] in Spokane. Great independent store

[1] 402 West Main City, Spokane, WA (509) 838-6242

Whale Talk

* A May/June 2001 Book Sense 76 and Top Ten Children's 76 pick

"This is the best novel that I've read in a long, long time. In a war between the jocks and the freaks, T.J. Jones gradually becomes a wise and fair 'Everyman,' representing all that is good in our society. This book should be required reading for every freak, geek, and jock living the American dream/nightmare of high school."
- Collette Morgan, Wild Rumpus Books, Minneapolis, MN

Author photo by Amanda Koster.