Shanna T. Melton a recipient of the Connecticut Office of the Arts Hero Award (2018), Shanna Melton is a poet, painter, educator, and the author of Unraveling My Thoughts. Her contributions to Connecticut’s vibrant poetry scene include arts ambassadorships for the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community, the Housatonic Museum of Art, and the founding of the open mic institution that is Lyrical Voices, a local showcase for contemporary poets and visual artists from across the region. Shanna is a certified Kingian Trainer in the Six Principles of Nonviolence with CTCN and serves as Artist in Residence for many CTCN training projects.