Myrna Culbreath

Early life According to a local newspaper in Colorado Springs, Culbreath operated a tutoring school in the early 1960s. The school offered preparation for GED and CLEP tests, as well as reading assistance and tutoring for students with disabilities and disabled veterans. The school had branch offices in Denver and Cortez.

Culbreath was briefly a member of the Young Americans for Freedom. In 1972, she attended the first Libertarian Party convention. Frustrated by the political platform that emerged during the convention, Culbreath "filibustered" until all anti-war messaging was withdrawn from the party's draft platform. She later resigned from the party.

Sometime before 1977, Culbreath moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she shared a home with her writing partner Sondra Marshak.

Fannish activity In the early-1970s, Culbreath began self-publishing an editorial newsletter under the title The Fire Bringer which focused on libertarian and objectivist issues.

Career After 1970, Culbreath made a number of attempts at writing a Star Trek episode spec script with Roddenberry's encouragement. Her preferred title for the script was "Triangle". Once renewal of the television series proved unlikely, Roddenberry introduced Culbreath to fan writer Jacqueline Lichtenberg, who then introduced Culbreath to Sondra Marshak. The three corresponded for several months, and Culbreath and Marshak formally met at a Star Trek convention in Baton Rouge in 1974.

Culbreath marketed a phonics-based reading method she claimed to have developed in the 1960s. She later condensed her method into a board game inspired by Monopoly which was published in 1996. The game was initially sold as The Phonics Game, which included supplementary materials for teachers. In 1999, an revised edition was sold by LearnByGames as PhonicsOpoly, and later PhonOpoly. Marshak contributed supplementary materials, and participated in sales and promotion.

During a 2004 episode of Zoh Hieronimus's Future Talk podcast, Culbreath was introduced as a well-known television and radio host but no details were given. Following a 2006 interview with Jeff Ayers given for Voyages of Imagination, Culbreath did not publish any new works or make any public appearances.

Culbreath died in October 2025.