Hurston, Zora Neale

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Zora Neale Hurston

Born January 7, 1891

Eatonville, Florida

Died January 28, 1960

Fort Pierce, Florida

American short story writer, autobiographer, novelist, and folklorist

One of the most memorable figures of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston had a wit and a vibrancy that epitomized the Harlem Renaissance.

Amajor figure in twentieth-century African American literature, Zora Neale Hurston had a sharp wit and a vibrant personality that made her seem a natural part of the Harlem Renaissance. Stephen Watson, author of The Harlem Renaissance, describes her as "outrageous, unpredictable, and headstrong." Though probably best known as the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Hurston was also a dedicated collector of African American folklore and one of the first writers to incorporate this rich resource into her own work. During the Harlem Renaissance she published several memorable short stories and honed the skills that would come to fruition in later years, when her novels and nonfiction works appeared. Her independent spirit and significant accomplishments made her both a model and a source of inspiration to later generations of black writers.

"Jump at De Sun"

Hurston was born in the all-black town of Eatonville, Florida, located about five miles from the larger city of Orlando.

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