Born in Notasulga, Alabama, on January 15, 1891, Zora Neale Hurston moved to Eatonville, Florida as a young child and considered it her hometown. Eatonville was a unique town, in that it was established as the first incorporated African–American community. Founded just north of Orlando, by twenty-seven African–American men on August 18, 1887, Eatonville influenced the setting for much of her writing. (The James Madison Institute, 2020) 

      Anthropologist, folklorist, writer, playwright and film maker were just some of the titles that describe this incredible writer. She was instrumental in promoting the Harlem Renaissance Movement, but unfortunately her talents went largely unrecognized during her lifetime, until writer Alice Walker published an article entitled “In Search of Zora Neale Hurston” for Ms. magazine in the late 1970’s. (History Channel, 2009) 

        The stories she gathered of African-Americans and their struggles as well as their cultural influences are a wonderful legacy and archive to enrich the lives of people of all ages and races. I encourage you to explore the links below to learn more about her colorful life, the history of Eatonville and some of her lesser known works. 

For more information on Zora Neale Hurston: 

• Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities 
• The Official Website of Zora Neale Hurston 
• THIS DAY IN HISTORY : Zora Neale Hurston is Born 
• Zora Neale Hurston Digital Archive   

For more information on Eatonville, Florida: 

The History and Legacy of Eatonville, Florida’s Pioneering African-American Town 

Books in print available to be put on hold: 

Hitting A Straight Lick With A Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston 

Novels and Stories by Zora Neale Hurston 

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston 

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 

Dust Tracks on A Road: The Restored Text Established by the Library of America by Zora Neale Hurston

Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings by Zora Neale Hurston 

The Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston 

Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folktales From the Gulf States by Zora Neale Hurston

Spunk: Three Tales by Zora Neale Hurston 

Spunk: The Selected Stories by Zora Neale Hurston 

Jonah’s Gourd Vine: A Novel by Zora Neale Hurston 

Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography by Robert E Hemenway (1977) 

Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd (2003) 

Zora Neale Hurston: “I Have Been In Sorrow’s Kitchen” by Laura Baskes Litwin (2008) 

Fire!!The Zora Neale Hurston Story by Peter Bagge (2017) Graphic Novel 

Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor (2019) 

Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground by T. R. Simon (2018) Juvenile 

EBooks: 

Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel by Zora Neale Hurston 

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston 

Every Tongue Got to Confess by Zora Neale Hurston 

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston 

Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston 

I Love Myself When I Am Laughing… and Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive by Zora Neale Hurston & Alice Walker 

Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston 

Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor (2019) 

Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree by William Miller & Cornelius Van Wright (2013) Juvenile 

Cyndi

Hi, I’m Cyndi H. I am an Adult Librarian Assistant at PLYMC. I enjoy delving into a good mystery, non-fiction, short story anthologies and true crime novels. I also collect early 20th century children’s books. I enjoy art and anything with yarn.