Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick

(Paperback)

Available Formats

---

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

From one of the greatest writers of our time (Toni Morrison) the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Barracoon a collection of remarkable short stories from the Harlem Renaissance

With a foreword by Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage
Genius Alice Walker

Rigorous, convincing, dazzling Zadie Smith on Their Eyes Were Watching God

In 1925, college student Zora Neale Hurston the sole black student at Barnard College, New York was living in the city, desperately striving for a toe-hold on the world.

During this period, she began writing short works that captured the zeitgeist of African American life and transformed her into one of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Nearly a century later, this singular talent is recognised as one of the most influential and revered American artists of the modern period.

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an outstanding collection of stories about love and migration, gender and class, racism and sexism that proudly reflect African American folk culture. Brought together for the first time in one volume, they include eight of Hurstons lost Harlem stories, which were found in forgotten periodicals and archives.

These stories challenge conceptions of Hurston as an author of rural fiction and include gems that flash with her biting, satiric humour, as well as more serious tales reflective of the cultural currents of Hurstons world. All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writers voice and her contributions to Americas literary traditions.

Reviews

wickedly funny THE OBSERVER NEW REVIEW

Published in one gorgeous volume for the first time [these] stories are fascinating, harrowing and beautifully written Stylist

this collection reaffirms [Hurstons] status as a truly visionary writer. Vogue UK

the rediscovery of [Hurstons] work has been one of the literary joys of recent decades. The Financial Times

Illuminating, every day is a good day to read Zora Neale Hurstons brilliant writing REFINERY29

[A] jewel of the Harlem Renaissance New Statesman

Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick helps illuminate Hurstons path to iconic status Add [Hurstons] matchless powers of observation, exemplary fidelity to idiomatic speech and irresistible engagement with folklore, and the outcome is a collection of value to more than Hurston completists. Any addition to her awe-inspiring oeuvre should be met with open arms. New York Times Book Review

Fans and scholars of Hurstons work and the uninitiated alike will find many delights in these complex, thoughtful and wickedly funny portraits of black lives and communities [this] is a significant testament to the enduring resonance of black womens writing. Washington Post

Decades on, this new collection is a powerful reminder of [Zora Neale Hurstons] lasting resonance. Time Magazine

Fluid,polymathic voice; what a class act Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times

Praise for Barracoon

A searing reminder of how recently American slavery ended, and the depth of the pain it caused The Economist

A deeply affecting record of an extraordinary life Daily Telegraph

Barracoon and its long path to print is a testament to Zoras singular vision amid so many competing pressures that continue to put us at war with ourselves Huffington Post

Author Bio

Zora Neale Hurston, the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, was deemed "one of the greatest writers of our time" by Toni Morrison. With the publication of Lies and Other Tall Tales, The Skull Talks Back, and What's the Hurry, Fox new generations will be introduced to Hurston's legacy. She was born in Notasulga, Alabama, in 1891, and died in 1960.