Dr. Marilyn Lawrence

Bio & Expertise: Founder of the educational-coaching company Candle & Quill, Dr. Lawrence is a seasoned educator and lifelong learner who brings passion, curiosity, and profound care to every aspect of her work as a teacher and writer. For over thirty years, she has guided students through the joys and challenges of reading and writing–from the middle schooler struggling to master fundamentals, to the undergraduate crafting his senior thesis, to the retiree tackling Tolstoy for the first time.

Dr. Lawrence earned a BA in Comparative Literature, with a minor in Theater and Dance, from Princeton University, where she won the F. LeMoyne Page Thesis Award. After teaching dance and choreography in Europe and Africa, she obtained her PhD in French Literature from New York University, where she defended her dissertation on medieval narrative with honors.

She is the recipient of the University of Chicago's Outstanding Educator Award, NYU's Outstanding Teacher Award, and NYU's President’s Service Award. She has taught at Barnard College, Columbia University; City University of New York; and NYU. She has been a Visiting Scholar at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in France.

In 2013, Dr. Lawrence joined the faculty of Trinity School where she taught history (European and global) and all levels of Upper-School English for eleven years, culminating in her service as Head of the English Department (grades 5-12).

The mother of three college-age children, she brings the understanding, experience, and empathy of a veteran parent to her work at Candle & Quill, which offers bespoke writing mentoring, literary enrichment, and college-application coaching.

Fun Fact: For over two decades, Dr. Lawrence served as a volunteer firefighter, including five years as her department's first female Assistant Chief.

Location: NYC In-Person + Virtual

Website: candleandquill.net

Contact: marilyn@candleandquill.net