Sylvia Plath and Marcia Brown met upon their arrival at Haven House in the fall of 1950, their first year at Smith. Different as they were in stature, habits, temperament, and talents, they became very close and decided to find work near each other the following summer and to room together during their sophomore year back at Smith. During the summer of 1951 they both found work as "mother's helpers" on Boston's north shore. Sylvia's poem "The Babysitters" recalls some of the adventures and adversities of that experience; many years later, Plath used Marcia as the model for Jody in her novel, The Bell Jar.

Although Plath ultimately graduated from Smith in 1955, one year later than Marcia, they maintained their friendship with frequent visits and letters. They kept in touch even when Sylvia moved to England to study on a Fulbright fellowship, then married and eventually settled there. They both write about ordinary topics-their hopes, worries, families, children. Theirs was a wonderful relationship that enriched and delighted them both.

At Smith, Marcia majored in Sociology and Child Study, and her professional life has involved work with families and young children. She also earned an M.A. in Early Childhood Education and took additional graduate courses focusing on children with special needs, all motivated by the developmental problems of her youngest son. For many years she taught children with varying degrees of autism, and now in her retirement, Marcia volunteers at a daycare center.