Poem

Tables and Gems

By Fred Moten
Black-and-white photo of table and chair near open balcony doorway with green and yellow dots
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Smith Collection / Gado / Getty.
The text of Fred Moten's "Tables and Gems"
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This poem is adapted from a longer version and was inspired by the photography of Carrie Mae Weems. It was originally published in perennial fashion presence falling by Fred Moten and the catalog Carrie Mae Weems: A Great Turn in the Possible.. It appears in the September 2023 print edition.

About the Author

Fred Moten teaches performance studies and comparative literature at New York University.