Crysta Coburn
Bio
Crysta K. Coburn has been writing award-winning stories for most of her life. She is a journalist, fiction writer, poet, playwright, editor, podcaster, and occasional lyricist. She co-hosts the popular paranormal podcast Haunted Mitten.
Stories (82)
Filter by community
Book Review: 'Everfair' by Nisi Shawl
On the surface, Everfair by Nisi Shawl is an alternative history novel about an imagined country named Everfair that was co-founded by black American Christian missionaries fleeing the oppression of post-Reconstruction era United States, indigenous Africans of several different tribes, and the British Fabian Society. Many black Americans did settle in Africa during the 19th century (see the country of Liberia for one example). African countries now are comprised of several different tribes. And the Fabian Society exists in our world even today.
By Crysta Coburn6 years ago in Geeks
How to Celebrate Michigan in the Summer
Summer time in Michigan can have many highs and several lows. And I don’t just mean the temperature! There are humidity and water levels to take into consideration when deciding how to spend the day. Michigan’s state motto is “Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice,” which is Latin for “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” This means we are literally surrounded by water. Michigan is also half comprised of water—41.5%! Consequently, a lot of summer activity in this state does revolve around water. But that isn’t all there is to do, and hopefully you will find activities on this list to suit all of your summer time needs.
By Crysta Coburn6 years ago in Wander
Book Review: 'The Ghost Bride' by Yangsze Choo
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo came out this past February, and I am super excited to get it out of the library and read it this summer! Why is that, you might ask? Is it because it has already been getting rave reviews and been placed on more than one Book List? Is it the gorgeous cover with a feminine silhouette against a starry sky? All good guesses, but no. These factors just enhance the book’s appeal and reaffirm for me that Choo is an absolute master storyteller.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Geeks
Graphic Novel Adaptations by Gareth Hinds and Candlewick Press
I am continuously surprised when parents discourage their children from reading by refusing to let them read comics. Many adults that I talk to profess to dislike reading books because they hated what they were forced to read as children. Why are we so bent on forcing people to read what they vocally don't want to read? It's only going to kill the joy that reading can bring! Reading what you love anyway.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Education
How to Celebrate Michigan in the Spring
Michigan is a state with four pretty distinct seasons. Our spring can be a little fickle with snow in April, and storms raging off and on for weeks, but by May, we’re pretty well into flower season with daffodils and—most especially—tulips bobbing their blooms in the breeze. So now that the weather is warming, what is there to do? Here are a few suggestions for your springtime bucket list.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Wander
4 Steampunk Graphic Novels Every Fan Should Read
I have learned from talking with fellow fans of the steampunk genre that the first title to spring to most minds when steampunk comics are brought up is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen co-created by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. There are undeniable steampunk elements in this series as well as several references to Victorian literature, which I find personally entertaining. It is, however, far from the only comic in the steampunk arena. If you are a fan of steampunk and graphic novels, check out these titles. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but I think of it as a good place to start, and these are some of my faves.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: 'King of the Road' by R.S. Belcher
Wow, my friends. It took me a while to get this review of R.S. Belcher's second installment of the Brotherhood of the Wheel series, and I do apologize, but here it is. To paraphrase a couple of lovable hillbillies, it's a doozy of a book! So let's dive right in, shall we?
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Horror
How to Celebrate Michigan in the Winter
Michigan wears winter well. Our roads are among the worst in the nation, but dang is that snow pretty when it glistens in the sunlight. Snowmen, snow forts, snow angels, snow fights, snow and ice festivals...so many activities to enjoy!
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Wander
Book Review: 'Brotherhood of the Wheel' by R.S. Belcher
If you are a fan of modern urban fantasy/horror and don’t know the name R.S. Belcher, allow me to introduce you. If you do know Belcher, congratulations on being one of the cool kids. But don’t worry, we can all be cool kids together in our enjoyment of some very fine lit. Brotherhood of the Wheel is one of my absolute favorite urban fantasy novels for several nuanced reasons.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Horror
10 Songs That Celebrate Winter
Once upon a time, some people believed that winter was caused by the vegetation goddess Persephone, also known as Kore and Proserpina, returns to the Underworld, taking the ability to grow crops with her. Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind, was the source of all the cold winds. People later spoke of Old Man Winter and Jack Frost, the personifications of ice, snow, and the freezing cold of winter. (Remember the 1979 stop-motion animated TV Christmas special?)
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Beat
6 Punk Rock Christmas Songs
I worked in retail during every holiday season for the past 20 years. (My first job was a seasonal gig at a clothing store endlessly folding clothes.) What do all retail places have in common during most of November and December? Christmas music.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Beat
Happily Ever After?
I love fairytales. Reading, writing. Love. I'm such a fairytale nerd that I persuaded some fellow writers to go in on a book with me of fairytale retellings, The Queen of Clocks and Other Steampunk Tales. I've been reading fairytales and fairytale retellings for years. The great thing about fairytales is that they are so versatile! And they tell relatable, human stories.
By Crysta Coburn7 years ago in Geeks
