Shadows-on-the-Teche is partnering with the Iberia African American Historical Society to host a special Juneteenth performance of Zebulon’s Dream, written and performed by acclaimed poet Suzanne Wiltz. Prior to the performance, Pastor Zachary P. Mitchell, Sr. of Word of Hope World Outreach Church and Chairman of the Shadows Advisory Council, will perform a libation ceremony.
Zebulon’s Dream will take place on Thursday, June 19 at the Shadows Visitor Center (320 E. Main Street, New Iberia). A light reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., with the ceremony and performance beginning at 6:00 p.m.
This event is FREE to attend, but registration is recommended.
ABOUT ZEBULON’S DREAM
Zebulon’s Dream is a poetry cycle written in the voice of Suzanne Wiltz’s maternal ancestor, Zebulon Richardson. He was rumored to have been separated from the family during slavery times and never heard from again. In this poetry cycle “Zebulon” is in conversation with the historical markers in Franklin, Louisiana and, by extension, with the history that has chosen to be commemorated. In addition to Suzanne’s poems, an original mixed media painting commissioned by artist Marla Chirdon, will be displayed and incorporated into the program. Zebulon’s Dream also discusses the mystery of Zebulon’s fate. In 2025, Zebulon’s Dream is made possible through the Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, a program of South Arts.
Zebulon’s Dream is dedicated to Suzanne Wiltz’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Jones (1923-2010), known affectionately as Maw, and to the memory of Zebulon Richardson.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Suzanne Wiltz is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Tulane University. Her poetry has appeared in Pumpernickel House: The Overgrown Door, The Southwestern Review, The Heartland Review, Spires and MockingHeart Review, among other publications. She also has contributed to The Upper Room and Protocols for a perpetual imaginary (New Orleans), edited by Ross Louis. She edits two newsletters - Poetry Newsletter and The Spark. Suzanne has been awarded grants by South Arts, Acadiana Center for the Arts, and Lafayette Economic Development Authority. In 2022 she was a Fellow of the Wild Seeds Writers Retreat, a program of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. She serves on the Boards of Directors of Alliance Française de La Nouvelle-Orléans and Morgan City Live Community Concert Association. Suzanne is a member of Just Write (New Orleans) and Green River Writers (Louisville). Suzanne and her beloved cat, Mikey Alexander, live in Louisiana.
