Zora Neale Hurston was an American novelist of the 1920's and 1930's brought to prominence over the past twenty years with the help of another southern novelist Alice Walker. Ms. Hurston has become well known for her folk literature which she used to
' ..exalt black people and black culture, to encourage them to see themselves anew and be proud, to recognize the art, the rich metaphors and similes that flowed effortlessly from their lips every day..' ( Howard 4)
Ms. Hurston's experiences molded the type of writer she became. Born 1891 in Eatonville Florida, the first incorporated black township in the United States and the setting for most of her works, she grew up with quite a bit of trauma but not aware that her aspirations were different from whites. Her mother died in 1905 when she was fourteen and her father kicked her out of the house almost immediately. She bounced from relative to relative, feeling very unwanted, but managed to finish high school in 1918 and enter Howard university in 1923 where her first short story was published in the school's literary magazine the Stylus. She won a scholarship to Barnard College in New York in 1925 where she studied anthropology under Franz Boas a renowned anthropologist. In 1925 her short story<">Spunk won second place at a contest sponsored by Opportunity Magazine. She became a member of the Harlem Renaissance, collaborating with other black writers such as Langston Hughes, writing plays and magazine articles. Her study at Barnard prompted her interest in the black culture and with funding from white benefactors, she was able to travel worldwide to gather information she needed to support her literary endeavors. Born of her travels were the majority of her works:
1932 The Great Dayfirst play, performed all over the country
1934 Jonah's Gourd Vine her first novel
1935 Mules and Men a collection of southern folklore
1937 There Eyes Were Watching God
1938 Tell My Horse
1939 Moses, Man of the Mountain
1942 Dust Tracks on a Road
Soon funding ran out and without monetary support for her writing and no income derived from her works, she sank into the depths of poverty. She died in 1960, penniless and alone and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Zora Neale Hurston served as Alice Walker's mentor. Unable to show her appreciation during her lifetime, Ms. Walker wanted to make other recognize Ms. Hurston's greatness and started that process by placing a headstone on Ms. Hurston's gravesite. Eatonville is back on the map! Every January the town holds a celebration of Ms. Hurston's life and work, continuing what Alice Walker began.
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