Unshuttered is a collection of ekphrastic poems by award-winning poet Patricia Smith. The inspiration for the poems are nineteenth-century photos of Black women, men, and children. Smith creates personalities, stories, and worlds for each photo in an impressive feat of imagination. Some of the poems are linked, and some take shape in demanding forms. Her mastery of poetry is incredible. She writes the way we mortal poets wish we could.  Below is an interview with the poet about creating this work, which initially she wrote entirely in sonnet form:

Like & share:
author image

About Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson’s work has appeared in magazines including Cagibi Literary Journal, Stoneboat, The Aurorean, The Ocotillo Review, London Reader, and in anthologies including for a better world 2020 and Anthology of Appalachian Writers Vol. X. He received Kentucky State Poetry Society’s Chaffin/Kash Prize in 2019. He resides in Lexington, Kentucky, but summers in Ecstasy and winters in Despair.

You Might Also Like...

Boys Like Terry, a poem….
Allusions and Illusions, a poem…
Monkeyshine, a poem….
Book Review – Early Morning Riser, by Katherine Heiny

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *