April 8th, 2009 |
Mollie Dickson
A conversation with Chris Crutcher: Connecting with students through stories
Last night I had the privilege of sitting fourth row, wide-eyed and all-ears, soaking in the wisdom, humor, tragedy, and truth of Chris Crutcher’s words. Speaking at Lewis and Clark, to an audience of new and aspiring teachers and counselors, he gripped us with his stories of childhood and what brought him to be a writer, stories of children who have inspired and changed him, stories of grieving, of hope, of impossible challenges, stories of revival and reconciliation. Real stories. Chris Crutcher looked us in the eye and spoke the truth, filling the room with our laughter and tears.
Captivated, I hung on every word. Yes. Yes! The voice in my head continued to shout, confirming the messages he expressed with conviction. Like when he looked around and declared, “We all have secrets. Every kid in your class has a secret. And they’re hiding it from you, from the world; because the last thing they want is for you to see their vulnerability, their fears.” (more…)