Notes from a Trip to Russia Summary and Analysis

In 1976, Audre Lorde made a trip to Russia as the American observer for the Union of Soviet Writers' African-Asian Writers Conference. This essay is an account of her travels and experiences over the course of this two-week trip. Lorde begins the essay by recounting several dreams she has had since returning from her trip to Russia. She states that in her dreams "Russia became a mythic representation of that socialism which does not yet exist anywhere I have been" (p. 13). She mentions that her impression of Russia is that of a place with different opportunities and challenges to offer than the United States.

In Section I, Lorde begins to describe her journey through Russia. She flies in near Moscow on September 10, 1976 and likens the overcast weather to that of her hometown...