King of the Mild Frontier

Review originally published July 2003 I often wonder where authors get their ideas for the books they write. When Chris Crutcher’s autobiography, King Of The Mild Frontier, came into our library, I was eager to see what some of his inspirations were. Chris Crutcher is a noted, sometimes controvers......more

Now I've read "Ironman," "Stotan," "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes," and most recently, "Deadline." In some ways, Crutcher always does the same thing (confronting uncomfortable themes in a gripping story), but he does it so well. So this autobiography is my favorite so far because it told me why. It a......more

I really enjoyed listening to Chris narrate the audio version of this memoir. What really stood out for me was chapter 13, which is where he justifies the strong language and less-than-pretty situations he writes about in his books and why he will always write about controversial topics. I immediate......more

Part of my love for this book is in knowing the some of people and most of the places Chris Crutcher tells about. A bigger part of my love for this book is in the telling of how he created his characters for his novels. Heroism is not born of greatness but of adversity. It is the act accepting life......more

Some bad language but really enjoyed the tales of childhood and adolescence because of Crutcher's humor, struggle with temper, and adventuresome nature. I have not read any of his award winning/controversial fiction. Sometimes I simply shook my head. The things boys do. Left me with smiles.......more