Marion Blackburn

Writer, public policy advocate

My public life centers around advocacy for animals, parks, greenways, and open spaces. Professionally, I work in marketing, public relations, policy consulting, and nonprofit management.

I am a vegan, and use no products or foods that come from animals. I speak, read, and write French fluently, which is a great love of mine. In addition to degrees in French, I have a Master of Public Administration, a professional policy degree.  

Growing up on a tobacco farm shaped me. Because we were so isolated, I started reading very young – big novels, philosophy, stories by Edgar Allen Poe. I read many classics and my spirit became infused with the places, ideas, and struggles of literature. That’s when I began writing.

I felt deep kinship with animals. Stray dogs appeared, and I begged to adopt them. Cats, too. I watched garden spiders write beautiful stories on vast dewed webs, enjoyed the butterflies, bees, and beetles that lived on mom’s flowers. They taught me to love and respect all life.

Rural life also drove me in another direction, to live anywhere but on a farm! I was a devoted student of French language, and went to the Sorbonne in my early 20s for graduate school. In all, I lived four years in Europe.

Throughout those years, my identity as a writer, and animal lover remained steady. Today, I am also a marathon runner, and as you can imagine, I have several animals who are my family.

These experiences guide my activities in the community as I win support for good public policy, while serving clients through the writing I love.