Her Life | zoranealehurston

Zora Neale Hurston had a flare for changing her year of birth. Records show that she was born in 1891but Hurston was noted several times of saying that she was born in 1901, 1903 or even 1910. Even her birthplace was a topic of debate since records say she was born in Notasulga, Alabama while her autobiography states she was born in Eatonville, Florida. If nothing else can be agreed upon, it's that she was a woman who excelled at keeping her inner life a secret, meant only for her.

"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."

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Her Career

Having developed a love for theater while working under a singer in a Gilbert and Sullivan troupe, Hurston pursed her love for the arts. She began to submit short stories to journals until one short story, "Drenched in Light" won her second place in a literary contest for the Opportunity. At the awards banquet, she was able to meet and befriend other great literary figures such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Carl Van Vechten, Fannie Hurst, and Annie Nathan Meyer. Meeting these key figures would only assist Hurston in furthering her goals as a writer, pursuing her passions and push her to become a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

She attened Barnard College where she developed her love for Anthroplogy and set herself up to preserve the African American heritage.Because finances became a problem for her, she accepted a financial contract from Charlotte Osgood Mason in 1927 which funded her work under the premise that Mason get a say on how the material was used. Because of this agreement, Hurston's relationship with professors and her college became strained. However, since she was now free to follow her own interests, she discovered voodoo. Fascinated by these practices, she travelled to New Orleans and Haiti to learn more and become better acquainted with the lore. She was equally fascinated with the notion that women played important roles in the rituals performed which only fueled her intrigue.

However, 4 years later, Mason cut the contract just as the Great Depression reared it's ugly head, forcing Hurston to scramble for an income. She debuted her first play in 1931, The Great Day, but only for one night since she had no producers around to keep the production going for longer. She staged two more productions in 1933 and in 1934 in her hometown of Eatonville and with the help of the community. From Sun to Sun and All De Live Long Day were as close to her dream of folk theater as she could get.

Later she wrote Jonah's Gourd Vine and on the day that she recieved her acceptance letter of it's publication, she also recieved her eviction notice. A year later, her book of Folk tales, Mules and Men, was published. This was the beginning of her prime. When her pen flowed with ideas and creativity poured from each stroke.

While on her trip to Haiti, she penned Their Eyes Were Watching God in 7 weeks and published it on September 18, 1937 and a year later, published Tell My Horse.

However, shortly after these successes, Hurston's prime began to falter and surviving day to day became her biggest struggle.

Up to til the time of her death, Zora Neale Hurston struggled not only financially but as a writer as well. Her reputation was largely tarnished by the accusation that she had molested a ten year old boy. While it was easy to disprove since her passport proved she was in Honduras at the time of the alleged crime, the accusation itself was enough to cast a shadow on her budding career and reputation. Hurston continued to struggle, making ends meet as she moved from job to job, submitting small articles and manuscripts in hopes of making what little money she could.

In 1958, she suffered several strokes that forced her into the St. Lucie County Welfare Home. On January 28, 1960, Zora Neale Hurston died and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Garden of Heavenly Rest in Ft. Pierce. It would be another thirteen years before someone would put forth the efforts of locating her grave and placing a grave stone on it. Engraved below her name is A Genius of the South. The woman responsible for the preservation of Hurstons grave was Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.

Shortly after Hurston's death, a fire threatened to destroy all of Hurston's manuscripts in one fell swoop but were miraculously saved by a long time friend of Hurston, Patrick Duval.

"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."

Birth

Place

Her Career

Shortly after Hurston's death, a fire threatened to destroy all of Hurston's manuscripts in one fell swoop but were miraculously saved by a long time friend of Hurston, Patrick Duval.

Her Death