Zora Neale Hurston
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Brief Biography
Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama, but was raised in Eatonville, Florida, an all-Black town. She experienced racial segregation for the first time when attending boarding school in Jacksonville, Florida. Hurston's passion for writing emerged during her time at Howard University in Washington D.C., and she published her first short story in the university’s literary magazine. She later moved to New York and became an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance, receiving recognition for her work and earning a scholarship to Barnard College, from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1928. Hurston's interests expanded to anthropology, leading her to conduct research in the southern United States and the Bahamas, collecting folklore material. She published in many genres, including folk stories, novels, plays, and autobiography, and she was known for her ability to tell the stories of common people. After facing false accusations of child molestation, Hurston’s reputation was tarnished, and her publisher didn’t accept any subsequent novels. Despite setbacks, Hurston continued to write and publish short stories and articles while working various jobs to support herself. She died of a heart attack in 1960.
Publications
Jonah's Gourd Vine. New York; Lippincott, 1934.
Mules and Men. New York; Lippincott, 1935.
Their Eyes Were Watching God. Philadelphia; Lippincott, 1937.
Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica. Philadelphia; Lippincott, 1938.
Voodoo Gods: An Inquiry into Native Myths and Magic in Jamaica and Haiti. London; Dent, 1939.
Moses, Man of the Mountains. New York; Lippincott, 1939.
Dust Tracks on a Road. New York; Lippincott, 1942.
Seraph on the Suwanee. New York; Scribner, 1948.
I Love Myself when I Am Laughing... And then again when I am Looking Mean and Impressive. New York Feminist Press, 1979.
The Sanctified Church: The Folklore Writings of Zora Neale Hurston. Alabama; Turtle Island Foundation, 1983.
Spunk: The Selected Stories of Zora Neale Hurston. Alabama; Turtle Island Foundation, 1985.
The Gilded Six-Bits. New York; Redpath Press, 1986.
Complete Stories. New York; HarperCollins, 1994.
Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings. New York; Library of America, 1995.
Novels and Stories. New York; Library of America, 1995.
Sweat. New Jersey; Rutgers University Press, 1997.
Collected Essays. New York; HarperCollins, 1998.
Joint Publications:
Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life in Three Acts. New York; Harper Perennial 1931; Rpt. 1991.
Mules and Men. New York; Lippincott, 1935.
Their Eyes Were Watching God. Philadelphia; Lippincott, 1937.
Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica. Philadelphia; Lippincott, 1938.
Voodoo Gods: An Inquiry into Native Myths and Magic in Jamaica and Haiti. London; Dent, 1939.
Moses, Man of the Mountains. New York; Lippincott, 1939.
Dust Tracks on a Road. New York; Lippincott, 1942.
Seraph on the Suwanee. New York; Scribner, 1948.
I Love Myself when I Am Laughing... And then again when I am Looking Mean and Impressive. New York Feminist Press, 1979.
The Sanctified Church: The Folklore Writings of Zora Neale Hurston. Alabama; Turtle Island Foundation, 1983.
Spunk: The Selected Stories of Zora Neale Hurston. Alabama; Turtle Island Foundation, 1985.
The Gilded Six-Bits. New York; Redpath Press, 1986.
Complete Stories. New York; HarperCollins, 1994.
Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings. New York; Library of America, 1995.
Novels and Stories. New York; Library of America, 1995.
Sweat. New Jersey; Rutgers University Press, 1997.
Collected Essays. New York; HarperCollins, 1998.
Joint Publications:
Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life in Three Acts. New York; Harper Perennial 1931; Rpt. 1991.
Themes
Zora Neale Hurston wrote short stories, plays, novels, essays, articles, and even an autobiography. Her work was influenced by her interest in anthropology and her desire to preserve the cultural heritage of rural southern Black people.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Hurston, Zora Neale, “Zora Neale Hurston,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/613.