“ Your [poetry] workshop was so enlightening and enjoyable and I learned so much. I’ve been writing poetry every day since, and I wrote and performed a piece at CCY. Your encouragement and spirit means so much to me as a young artist, and I hope as I continue to create I can bring that same energy into the creative spaces I inhabit as well. Thank you so so so much!”

“Zulynette’s workshop at Eastern [ Connecticut State University] had a powerful impact on the students who were in attendance. Due to Covid restrictions, we had a challenging setup with both in-person participants and other folks joining through a livestream. I was impressed at how well Zulynette was able to address both audiences on the fly. I think that student participants were particularly excited when Zulynette talked about language and encouraged them to write in whatever language felt right to them. Two students read poems aloud that they wrote in a mixture of Spanish and English. We are hoping that Zulynette will return to teach a longer-format class with us in the future!”

“Zulynette came to my course, Performing Hartford pat Trinity College], to offer a virtual reading, a sharing of her visual art, and a conversation with students in Fall ‘20. Zulynette presented two of her own poems and spoke at length students about her biography and experiences as an artist, a Hartford resident, and a person. Zulynette was fantastic in each and every regard.

Zulynette was the first artist in this six artist series and we could not picked a better person to kick us off. She arrived with generosity, strength, and openness. Her presentation was incredibly engaging and thorough as she took the “performing” aspect of the class seriously. She had thought about lighting and appearance and really showed up to deliver the message and the meaning of her work. She has a warmth and accessibility in the way that she interacts with her audience and my students felt totally free to ask her questions while also being thoroughly impressed by her work and biography.

She emphasized for students the way that life can take a circuitous path and talked about how she moved from social work into being a full time artist, all the while attending to the work of community care that is a commonality between both fields. Her paintings and poems resonated with students as they spoke to the tricky balance between artistic fulfillment and work life, the way that others can misapprehend your identity, and how politics can act as a show to distract us from what is truly important. Her poem about her name, was humorous and has echoed with me for many months, “a vocabularic rebellion.”

I know that many of my students remain in touch with Zulynette and continue to build a relationship of artistic mentorship and support. It speaks to her care that she has made herself available to them. She was truly a wonderful guest and I could not recommend her more highly.”

“Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Zulynette in many different contexts.
It began as a fan; watching her own the room at open mic nights, scorching mic then passing it on to others that couldn’t replicate her impact. Later we became friends and it was soon made evident that she was the kind of person that challenges those around her to be better, to see better possibilities for ourselves.

Her passion is contagious; as an educator it’s been exciting watching my students learn from her. While Project Director of “Adventures In The City” CDF Freedom School, I invited Zulynette to teach our K-3 classes. In my new role at Thirman L. Milner School, she has worked with my middle school “College & Career Readiness” classes. She has even conducted Paint Nights with our Parent/Teachers Organization. These very different audience agree on one thing, they can’t wait until she returns.

Zulynette is necessary; by being herself she helps us unlearn a lot of misconceptions we’ve “known” about artists.
- That they are defined by struggle
- Unable to support themselves
- Aren’t fun to be around
- That only some can be creative

She is truth in a world that desperately needs it.
A POWERHOUSE.”

“[Zulynette’s] poetry workshop was a really fun space to be creative within intimate community, virtually. I enjoyed the range of writing prompts and challenge choices, which all still connected to a thread! Zulynette created an open and nourishing vibe, where it felt natural and easy to express ourselves and hear each other. I had a lot of fun and also uncovered a little more about myself in the writing! Thank you!”

“So this was my second poetry workshop with Zulynette! If you are needing creative inspiration around writing/poetry/the arts - look no further. Zulynette has great energy and the ability to shine light on the poem’s inside all of us.”

“Zulynette’s workshop... was nothing short of amazing. Even with the meeting being online, you still get swept away with emotion, as if you’re in the room with her. She truly makes you dive within your inner artistry with every prompt and poem. ”