A poet, author, and teacher, Karyn Crispo received her MFA from Emerson College in Boston. Having taught at St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University in upstate New York, Crispo now works privately as an Application & Proposal Impact Coach and an Academic & Career Advisor. Crispo has published a collection of poems, Building a Second Home, that was nominated for the Massachusetts Book Award and the Pen New England Literary Award, and her work has appeared in several journals. She is currently at work on two poetry manuscripts: For You, Who Made Me Realize Trees and Scars Barely Visible. Crispo leads a writing workshops for those incarcerated at the local county jail and is an advocate for restorative justice. In July of 2022, Crispo was one of nine northern New York artists awarded a full artist salary through Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), a philanthropic organization funded by the by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). With this funding, she plans to expand her outreach and course offerings through St. Lawrence County Arts and the TAUNY Center to include underserved communities, such as those struggling with addiction, those with disabilities, and active military. She lives with her family in the North Country of New York and spends much time in the Adirondack Mountains. Crispo is a gardener and a lover of nature as well as a social justice advocate, passions which have guided her craft over the years.