Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

 He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related
 •

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

•
 • Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

•
 •

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related

Robeson at Rutgers

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Hard to picture, but these Goliath trees

are taller still than Robeson. Outside

vast plate windows in this lecture hall,

I imagine him running down autumn fields,

see his black thighs pumping that machinery

across chalk-painted lines.

He loved the woman

in the lab, Eslanda, who saw order

in swimming circles on inch-wide slides, who

made photographs. I picture her standing

in darkness, led by red light, bathing paper

in broth, extracting images. Did this woman smile

to watch white paper darken, to pull wet

from the chemicals Paul Robeson’s totem face?

Elizabeth Alexander, “Robeson at Rutgers” Copyright © 1990 by the Rectors and Visitors of the University of
Virginia. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press. Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.

Source: The Venus Hottentot (Graywolf Press, 2004)

• Related