A disturbing imagination

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Many a nose wrinkled in distaste and other faces

lighted with laughter as young-adult author Chris Crutcher read a passage

from one of his short stories this week at the Newport Beach Public

Library.

No matter what his audience’s reaction, he had their attention.

The passage was a version of a true story, about a guy who ate a box

of Bisquick and drank a bottle of strawberry shampoo one morning.

There were giggles and chuckles throughout the room until Crutcher

described the unfortunate results.

Let’s just say they weren’t fit for publication.

More than 100 seventh-grade English students from Ensign Intermediate

School were bused to the library to hear Crutcher.

Many students said they weren’t familiar with the author, but they

were drawn in by his talk.

“His books sound really good to read,” said Klaire Brown, 12.

Crutcher captures his audience’s attention by tailoring his talk to

them, he said.

If he told them how to write a book and how to get it published, as

many authors do, he would have held the attention of, maybe, a third of

the group, he said.

“If I can play with story and imagination, that will probably help

them more,” he said.

Making use of a few self-deprecating stories and tales of others he

has known, Crutcher explained how he came up with stories and characters.

“When I start telling a story about a teenager, I have to go back to

myself first,” he said. “I have to take that junior or senior from 1964

and bring him into 2001. That’s the trick to fiction writing.”

Crutcher has nine books published, one of which is a collection of

short stories titled “Athletic Shorts.” He wrote his first book, “Running

Loose,” 20 years ago.