Overview

This book explores the creativity and life of Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), the most published African American woman writer of the first half of the twentieth century. Her life spanned a period of rapid technological change and advancement, and one of entrenched racial stratification. A Barnard-educated anthropologist, folklorist and novelist, Hurston was a modern woman on the move, and, as Cheryl R. Hopson relates, this movement is reflected in her work as a collector of folklore. Hopson also foregrounds how the Jim Crow legal system in the United States formed the material backdrop to Hurston's life and work, and explores Hurston's signature novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, as well as her lesser-known works. This biography is an insightful and illuminating look at a remarkable figure, and chronicles the rediscovery of Hurston years after her death.

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9781789147957

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Reviews

""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 ""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

""A bright, energetic retelling of Hurston's life and career.""-- ""Bookmunch"" ""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"" ""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"" ""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 ""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

Author Information

Cheryl R. Hopson is Associate Professor of English and African American Studies at Western Kentucky University. She has published essays on Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker, Zora Neale Hurston and June Jordan, and is the author of the poetry collection In Case You Get This (2023).

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