Happy Birthday, Zora Neale Hurston

Today is the birthday of celebrated African American author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. Her most-cataloged book on LibraryThing is the 1937 Their Eyes Were Watching God, added by more than 21,000 members. Have you read her work? What are some of your favorites?

For more literary events that occurred on this date, see our On This Day page:
https://www.librarything.com/onthisday.php?day=01-07

I'm a big fan of Their Eyes. It's a joyful read, and re-reads release even more joy. In fact, Hurston was an independent-minded, carpe diem kind of person, in spite of the many real challenges she faced in her life and in her work being challenged by her peers as not being worthy of high regard. Time has proven how wrong they were! With the help of dogged feminists in the 70s, her work was resurrected and now is part of the must read classics.

I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes.... No, I do not weep at the world—I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife. --ZNH

I plan to read more of her. I need more of that unapologetic zest for life. We all do.

Yes, twice and I'm looking forward to reading again. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a wonderful read, full of hope and determination, and as Debi >2 DebiCates: says, 'that unapologetic zest for life'.

Happy Birthday Zora Neale Hurston 🎂