ABOUT THIS BOOK

The life, work, and legacy of one of the twentieth century’s most published African American women.

This book explores the life and legacy of Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960), the most-published African American woman of the first half of the twentieth century. Famous today as the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston was also an anthropologist and a folklorist. In this new biography, Cheryl Hopson casts Hurston as a modern woman on the move, particularly as a collector of stories in and around the Jim Crow South. Hopson details her rejection by the Harlem Renaissance as well as her recovery by Black feminists such as Alice Walker years after her death. The result is an accessible and fresh account of the celebrated writer’s life and work.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Cheryl R. Hopson is associate professor of English and African American studies at Western Kentucky University. She is the author of the poetry collection In Case You Get This.

REVIEWS

"Cheryl Hopson’s careful curation of Zora Neale Hurston’s writing life distinguishes this biography from other canonical texts on Hurston. Hopson situates the reader in the cultural and historic milieu of the first half of the twentieth century and gives readers new reasons to continue reading Hurston in this century. Hopson’s close reading of Hurston’s texts and life make this biography a must-read for those new to Hurston."

— Seretha Williams, Augusta University

"Supported by extensive archival research, rich photographic illustrations, and a nuanced explication of key and lesser-known works in Zora Neale Hurston’s oeuvre, this new biography contextualizes a unique and penetrating voice that never fell silent with the passage of time. Hopson meticulously maps the vexed and circuitous routes of discrimination, humiliation, and empire along which Hurston traveled to capture and preserve the rhythms of a Black vernacular landscape that formed the central motif of her craft and represented her greatest love."

— Andrew Rosa, Western Kentucky University

"Part biography, part literary criticism, the work is an excellent introduction to Hurston and her writings . . . Hopson argues that her works are as relevant as ever."

— Library Journal

"Hopson’s biography explores Zora Neale Hurston’s life and works, emphasising her remarkable achievements, whilst recognising some of her inherent contradictions . . . an engaging read."

— Morning Star

"A bright, energetic retelling of Hurston’s life and career."

— Bookmunch

"...Hopson’s biographical-literary analysis will appeal to a wide readership, from Hurston fans to those who know little about her adventurous life and cultural legacy."

— J. W. Hall, emerita, University of Mississippi, Choice

"[A] perceptive and succinct biography."

— New York Sun

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Introduction

1. Childhood

2. Opportunity

3. Curiosity

4. On Fiction and Folklore

5. Stormy Weather

6. Featherbed Resistance

7. The Dulling Final Years

Epilogue: ‘I’m Not Done Yet’

References

Select Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Photo Acknowledgements

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