Florence Scovel Shinn

Florence Scovel was a New Thought instructor and essayist. She lived in New York City the greater part of her life, instructing at the New York Unity Society.

She was born on September 24, 1871, in Camden, New Jersey to Emily Hopkinson and Alden Cortlandt Scovel, who provided legal counsel in Camden. Florence attended the Friends Central School and later studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1889 to 1897. It was there that she met her future husband, Everett Shinn (1876 – 1953) whom she married after graduating from the Academy.

The couple moved to New York City to pursue creative professions. Florence found work as an illustrator of magazines and books. In 1912, following fourteen years of marriage, Everett asked for a separation.

The failure of her marriage led Florence to examine her life in more depth. In 1925, unable to find a publisher for her first book “The Game of Life and How to Play It ” she released it herself. “Your Word Is Your Wand” was published in 1928 and “The Secret Door To Success” was in 1940 just before her death on October 17, 1940. The “The Power of the Spoken Word” is a collection of her notes published posthumously in 1945.

Florence Scovel Shinn’s approach to New Thought is commonsense and down to earth. By sharing genuine stories she connects readers with practical principles for success.