A Zora Neale Hurston Companion

(Hardback)

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Description

Anthropologist and author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is one of the most significant African American writers of the 20th century. Born in Alabama, she grew up in a small town in Florida, where she developed an interest in African American folklore. In 1925 she moved to New York and became part of the Harlem Renaissance, meeting such figures as Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten. She continued her anthropological research at Barnard under Franz Boas, and African American folklore became central to her fiction. She is best remembered as the author of ^IJonah's Gourd Vine,^R ^ITheir Eyes Were Watching God,^R and ^IMules and Men,^R her study of African American folklore of the South. This reference is a convenient and thorough guide to her life and writings. A chronology outlines the major events in her life and her most significant accomplishments, while a short biography offers a narrative assessment of her career. The heart of the book is a collection of hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries. These cover her works, characters, themes, motifs, family members, and acquaintances. Entries for the most important topics include suggestions for further reading, and the volume closes with extensive primary and secondary bibliographies.

Reviews

Croft has done a skillful job chronicling and organizing the lfe and works of an extrodinary writer. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students. * Choice *
this book is especially helpful for sorting through what the author calls the intertextuality of Hurston's writing..valuable to have on hand to support the study of Hurston's writings and life. It is recommended for public and academic libraries; high-school libraries might also consider it. * Booklist *

Author Bio

ROBERT W. CROFT is Associate Professor of English at Gainesville College. His previous books include Anne Tyler: A Bio-Bibliography (1995) and An Anne Tyler Companion (1998), both available from Greenwood Press.