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: