ALUMNIANDFRIENDSCORNER
researching spinal cord injuries before attempting to Maybe no one at McMurry is happier for Leesa Frey write. She had no formal training in creative writing but Freeman ’96, who has success with two books to her knew she was driven to write a book about the guy name than a former professor, but not the most logical who had moved into her head. one. She did take a lot of English classes at McMurry, “It really scared me,” she said, “because I had no idea but no creative writing classes. Instead, it was her how to write this book.” sociology classes under Robert Wallace that eventually But she forged ahead and completed the project. led to her creative treatment of social issues. So, when Her interest in social issues and how people handle Leesa decided to attend homecoming in October, she them can be traced to her freshman year at McMurry sent Wallace a copy of her new book, “Into the Deep in 1993. She didn’t know what she wanted to do, but End,” and scheduled time to visit with him. her roommate was a sociology major and Leesa loved “He was just so excited for me,” she said. listening to her talk about what she was learning. Leesa lives in Bristol, Connecticut, with her husband, Jason, and two daughters, ages 18 and 12. “I think I was a sociology major before I took my first class,” she said. While at homecoming, she finally sat in on a creative She hopes that people suffering from addiction or writing class. But she wasn’t a student. Instead, she addressed a combined paralysis will recognize their own story in her class of students from She hopes that people suffering from books. And, she hopes Cole Thompson’s her books will help creative writing class and addiction or paralysis will recognize sufferers explain their Wallace’s sociology class. feelings to others. Her new book is their own story in her books. Leesa grew up about the struggles in Carrollton but knew of a young man who about McMurry all her life. Her grandfather, the late W.K. is a paraplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury in a Frey, was dean of admissions at McMurry and her father, car wreck that killed his twin sister and his best friend. the late Gordon Frey, was freshman class president Before the accident, he was in training for the Olympic when he attended. swimming finals. The idea for the book came to Leesa Gordon Frey graduated from McMurry in 1970. like many of her ideas. Leesa’s mother, Sarah, was a member of the Class of “I have rooms for rent in my head, and a guy in a wheelchair moved in,” she said. “I didn’t choose him so 1969. much as he chose me.” “It’s the whole big circle kind of thing,” Leesa said of From there, Leesa took over. She spent six months her McMurry experience.
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THE MESSENGER / FALL 2015
