LATE-IN-LIFE WRTING CAREER SURPRISES JEWELL ALUM
By Carolyn Chapman

Creative writers have been known to suffer more than a few sleepless nights as they wrestle with their elusive muse. But for Jewell alum and author Sue Wright '66, a writing career was the result rather than the cause of a frustrating battle with insomnia.

"I went to my doctor to seek a cure for my insomnia," Sue remembers. "Instead, he told me to make the most of the time. So in the wee hours of the morning, I set up shop in our son's former bedroom and let my imagination go."

What began as a late-night hobby has blossomed into a flourishing, albeit surprising, journey.

Sue Wright

A current member of the Board of Governors, Sue didn’t enjoy immediate success as an author. She sent her first book, a retelling of the Christmas story from the innkeeper’s perspective, to 21 publishers; the first 20 rejected her. On Christmas Eve 1996, the 21st publisher, Scholastic, called to accept her manuscript. The Christmas Path: A Legend of the Luminaries was published in 1998. Sue and her husband, Dick, are long-time Liberty residents. For almost seven years, she published a weekly column, "Wright On," in the local newspaper The Liberty Sun. Thanks to the picture accompanying her column, she was recognized everywhere she went. "I made so many friends through that column," she recalls. "I shared so many personal memories through my writing that people thought they knew me."

In 2002, Sue won the Missouri Writer's Guild Award for best juvenile short story. Since then, Scholastic has published her short story "A Soldier's Christmas" in its holiday collection, Here Come the Holidays. She has also adapted two books for Scholastic based on the 1960s children's television series "Davey and Goliath." Davey is a little boy who makes poor choices, Sue explains. Goliath is his dog and confidant who steers him on the right path. The books can be found at bookstores and on the Internet.

Sue hails from Kansas City, Mo., and attended Raytown High School. She never intended to go to a local college; she wanted to go far away. But when she visited friends on the Jewell campus, she was hooked. During her time on the hill, she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and the social director for the Union Board. Richard Harriman was the board’s advisor. "At that time, we were responsible for bringing fine arts talent to campus," Sue explains. She planned parties and receptions for fine arts events. Sue recalls her time on the hill as insulated. "Not many people had cars, so we walked everywhere," she says. "Campus was our life." She earned her degree in physical education and sociology. She competed in intramurals, as there were no formal women’s sports on campus. She recalls fondly Coach Norris Patterson, Myra Unger and philosophy professor Murray Hunt. She was Professor Earl Whaley’s secretary. Her comrades on campus included Larry Holley, Homer Drew and Pee Wee Summers. "I just really loved William Jewell and am so glad to be involved today," she says.

Sue Wright's story appears in this book

After graduation, she pursued a master's degree from the University of Missouri in social work. She later became a child welfare worker for the state.

Today, Sue has plenty to keep her busy. In addition to her work for the college, she regularly speaks to school groups such as the Park Hill River Read Literature Festival and does some editorial work for her church. When elementary students discover she writes for Scholastic, they sometimes think she is famed Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. "We share the same publisher, but not the same income," she says with a laugh.

Sue's stepsons Rick and David Wright, her brother Allen Meyer, and one of her eleven grandchildren have graduated from Jewell. Though she rates her family as her biggest blessing in life, Sue has found her career in publishing to be life-enhancing too. She loves inspiring young writers to test the waters like she did. "I remind them they'll never be published if they don't send their work away," she says. "On the other hand, whether you're ever published or not, you can enjoy the healing outlet of putting your thoughts on paper."