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Character

Cougar Queries: "My most cherished memory at BYU was when I found a snail creeping along my desk..."

Name: Leslee Thorne-Murphy

BYU employee since: 2002

My job at BYU is... Associate Professor of English. I teach classes in British literature. I couldn't hope for a better job---I get to read great books, write about them, talk about them and call it work.

Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

Currently I'm working on... a book about Victorian authors who donated to their favorite social causes (schools, missionary work, hospitals, etc.) by writing literature specifically to be sold at fundraising bazaars. 

I'm currently reading... The Match Girl and the Heiress, by Seth Koven. Next on my list is All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr.

I get most excited about my work when... I see students' eyes come to life as they discover something new.

My mother spending countless hours reading to me ...sparked my interest in my field.

The best-kept BYU secret is... the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library.

I've been a BYU fan since... I sided with my mother in our family's version of a Deseret First Duel.

My go-to BYU Creamery ice cream flavor is... chocolate fudge mousse.

My favorite BYU tradition is... the lighting of the Y.

I've hiked Y Mountain... half a dozen ...times.

My favorite spot on campus is... the hill above the botany pond.

My favorite Cougar athlete is... Rachel Boaz, Ashley Hatch, Lexi Eaton Rydalch, Amy Boswell---I'd have a hard time choosing. Go Lady Cougs!

My most cherished memory at BYU was when... I found a snail creeping along my desk - a gift from my budding naturalist son, Colin.

On Saturday mornings... in the fall ...you'll find me... at my kids' soccer games; in the winter, I'll be on the slopes at Sundance; and in the spring and summer, I'm often out in the garden.

My go-to comfort food is... hot chocolate and toast.

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