 She kept a diary as a child and wrote in a wide range of formats.Marilyn majored in English at Emory University, going on to study a master's degree in library science at Emory and a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Chicago, with the thesis title "The nature of didacticism as related to romance and sexuality in young adult novels, 1965–1978".She taught children's literature at St. John's University, New York for over twenty years.