Zora Neale Hurston : Folklore， Memoirs， and Other Writings

When Zora Neale Hurston died in 1960 in poverty and obscurity, all of her books were out of print. However, her works have gained recognition as some of the most significant works in African-American literature. She was a pioneer of African-American ethnography and a graduate of anthropology with the renowned Franz Boas. Her works are suffused with the culture and traditions of African-Americans, and written in the poetry of black speech. This volume brings together her best writings, including Mules and Men, the first book of African-American folklore written by an African-American. Hurston returned to her native Florida and to New Orleans to record stories, sermons, blues and work songs, children's games, courtship rituals, and formulas of hoodoo doctors. This classic work is presented here with the original illustrations by the great Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias. Tell My Horse vividly recounts the survival of African religion in Jamaican obeah and Haitian voodoo in the 1930s. Hurston went beyond superficial exoticism to explore the role of these religious systems in their societies. The text is illustrated by 26 photographs. A special feature of this volume is Hurston's controversial 1942 autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road. With consultation by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it is presented here for the first time as she intended, restoring passages omitted by the original publisher because of political controversy, sexual candor, or fear of libel. Overall, this collection of works by Zora Neale Hurston is a must-read for anyone interested in African-American literature, folklore, or memoir. Her unique writing style, rooted in the traditions and culture of African-Americans, is both captivating and insightful.