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King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
King of the Mild Frontier An IllAdvised Autobiography
Author: Chris Crutcher
Do You Know:
  • A good reason to be phobic about oysters and olives?
  • That you can step inside a roaring coal furnace and feet cool?
  • That Jesus had an older brother?
  • How shutting your mouth can help you avoid brain surgery?
  • How to avoid cow-pies during your baptism?
  • H...  more »


Chris Crutcher

knows the answers to these 

things and more.


And once you have read about Chris Crutcher's life as a dateless, broken-toothed, scabbed-over, God-fearing dweeb, and once you have contemplated his ascension to the buckskin-upholstered throne of the King of the Mild Frontier, you will close this book, close your eyes and hold it to your chest, and say, "I, too, can be an author."

Hell, anyone can.
ISBN-13: 9780060502508
ISBN-10: 0060502509
Publication Date: 4/1/2003
Pages: 272
Edition: 1
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
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0 stars, based on 0 rating
Publisher: Greenwillow
Book Type: Library Binding
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Minehava avatar reviewed King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography on + 829 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-For those who want to know the real poop behind this popular author's characters (and, to some extent, his character), this is the book you've been waiting for. The cover photo tells it all: a white picket fence in the background, for all the world as straight and orderly and stereotypically 1950s proper as the author's maddeningly rational father, "Crutch," wanted things to appear. But looming in the foreground is toothy, smiling Chris, the short-fused emotional time bomb who regularly exploded into anger and tears. Protective of his alcoholic mom and at almost constant odds with his strict and demanding dad, Crutcher describes incidents and telling episodes from his formative years. His signature wit was sharpened in response to both his feelings of inadequacy and his competitive nature, honed by participation in high school and college sports. He addresses issues about his use of profanity in his writing for teens. Tough and tender reminiscences focus primarily on family, social, and school conflicts, but lessons derived from his career as a teacher, therapist, and writer are also described. Hyperbole lightens the mood as the author portrays himself as a young crybaby, academic misfit, and athletic klutz, utterly without self-aggrandizement. Abrupt transitions, some convoluted sentences, and nonlinear progression may challenge some readers, but the narrative holds undeniable appeal for the author's fans and demonstrates the power of writing to help both reader and writer heal emotional/psychic wounds.
Read All 1 Book Reviews of "King of the Mild Frontier An IllAdvised Autobiography"


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