Marion grew up on a tobacco farm in Edgecombe County. She holds a master's degree in 19th- and 20-century French literature from the Sorbonne in Paris (with special mention from the faculty), where she lived and worked. Her undergraduate studies were completed at UNC-Chapel Hill, with upper-level history and political science courses completed in addition to a bachelor's degree in French.
Her experience includes serving as foreign news editor, feature writer and theater reviewer for the Prague Post in Prague, Czech Republic.
Current projects include feature articles on archaeology and tobacco culture, along with medical topics including robotic heart surgery, diabetes research and women's health. She has also written about anti-smoking efforts and the new agriculture that are part of economic renewal in eastern North Carolina.
She has three dogs and three cats. She enjoys running and hiking in local, state and national natural areas. She has also taken up tap dancing.
