Biography
Specializations
Creative Writing, English Education
Subspecializations
Adolescent Literature
Biography
Chris Crowe completed his graduate study at Arizona State University and, after teaching high school English for ten years, he taught at Himeji (Japan) Dokkyo University and BYU-Hawaii before coming to BYU in 1993. His areas of research and teaching include young adult literature, English education, and creative writing. He is past president of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) and spent 5 years as editor of the YA Literature Column for the English Journal. Dr. Crowe’s books include Presenting Mildred D. Taylor (Twayne 1999);Mississippi Trial, 1955 (Penguin Putnam 2002); Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case (Penguin 2003); More than a Game: Sports Literature for Young Adults(Scarecrow, 2004); Two Roads (Deseret Book, 2007); Teaching the Selected Works of Mildred D. Taylor (Heinneman, 2007);“How I Came to Write”: LDS Authors for Young Adults (Center for Christian Values in Literature, 2007); Thurgood Marshall: Up Close (Viking, 2008), and Just as Good: How Larry Doby Changed America’s Game (Candlewick, 2012). His next book, a historical novel titled Death Coming Up the Hill, will be published in October 2014. He attended BYU on a football scholarship from 1972 through 1975. He married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth, in 1973, and they have four children, two beautiful granddaughters, and three handsome grandsons.
Degrees
EdD, English Education, Arizona State U, 1986
MEd, English Education, Arizona State U, 1980
BA, English, Brigham Young University, 1976
Awards & Honors
2010 Ted Hipple Award, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents
Department Citizenship Award 2010
Maeser Research/Creative Arts Award 2007
Nan O. Grass Professorship 2008
Courses Taught
ENGL 218 Intro to Creative Writing
ENGL 320 Writing for Children and Teenagers
ENGL 377 Methods of Teaching Secondary ENGL
ENGL 420 Literature for Adolescents
ENGL 670 Writing the YA Novel
Honors and Awards
- Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, BYU (2020 - 2021)
- 2020 Amazing Audiobooks Award for Getting Away with Murder, American Library Association (2019 - 2020)
- Finalist, Indiana High School Book Award, Indiana Library Federation (2018 - 2019)
- Finalist, South Carolina Book Award, South Carolina Association of School Librarians (2016 - 2017)
- Karl G Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award, BYU (2016 - 2017)
- nominee, 2016-17 Gateway Award, Missouri Association of School Librarians (2016 - 2017)
- 2016 TAYSHAS Reading List, Texas Library Association (2016 - 2016)
- Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2016, American Library Association (2016 - 2016)
- Association for Mormon Letters Award, YA Novel Category, Association for Mormon Letters (AML) (2015 - 2015)
- Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College, Center for Books for Children (2015 - 2015)
- Cream of the Crop for Children's and YA Literature, Maine Library Association (2015 - 2015)
- Whitney Award, YA Novel Category, LDS Storymakers (2015 - 2015)
- Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award List, Arkansas Library Association (2014 - 2015)
- Junior Library Guild Selection, Junior Library Guild (2011 - 2012)
- Nan Osmond Grass Professorship in English, English Department (2008 - 2011)
- Ted Hipple Service Award, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (2010 - 2010)
- Book of the Week, January 19, 2009 (for THURGOOD MARSHALL: A TWENTIETH CENTURY LIFE), Cooperative Children's Book Center (2009 - 2009)
- Citizenship Award, English Department (2009 - 2009)
- Finalist: Nutmeg Children's Book Award, Connecticut Library Association (2007 - 2007)
- Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Research and Creative Arts Award, Brigham Young University (2007 - 2007)
- Book for the Teen Age, New York Public Library (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Arizona Young Readers Award, Arizona Library Association (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Beehive Book Award, Children's Literature Association of Utah (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Garden State Teen Book Award, New Jersey Library Association (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Iowa Teen Choice Award, Iowa Library Association (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Isingglass Teen Award, New Hampshire Library Association (2006 - 2006)
- Finalist: Maud Hart Lovelace Award, Minnesota Library Association (2006 - 2006)
- "Best of the Best" Top 100 YA Books of the Last Decade, American Library Association (2005 - 2005)
- Golden Sower Award, Nebraska Library Association (2005 - 2005)
Administrative Assignments
- : Other (Move to BYU Citizenship?) (2012 - Present)
- : Other (Move to BYU Citizenship?) (2009 - Present)
Memberships
- Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN)
- International Reading Association
- National Council of Teachers of English
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
- US Board on Books for Young Readers
Professional Citizenship
- Committee/Council Member, Provo City Library (2010 - 2016)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Arizona State University (2012 - 2012)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Arizona State University (2012 - 2012)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, University of Alabama, Birmingham (2012 - 2012)
- Committee/Council Member, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) (2010 - 2010)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Chapman University (2010 - 2010)