Zora Neale Hurston

The Complete Stories of Zora Neale Hurston

African American writer Zora Neale Hurston, born in 1891, grew up in tiny, rural Eatonville, Florida, the first incorporated black township in the United States. Her mother always told her children to “jump at de sun,” and, as Hurston said later, “We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.”

From The Complete Stories:

“Outside the tempest raged. The palms rattled dryly and the giant pines groaned and sighed in the grip of the wind. Flying leaves and pine-mast filled the air.”

Zora was motherless by age thirteen. Her preacher father remarried a woman Zora didn’t like, and Zora, bright though she was, was removed from school. She took jobs minding children and waitressing until she was hired by a white woman who, recognizing Hurston’s intelligence, enrolled her in high school—at age twenty-six.

She earned degrees from Howard University and Barnard, studied anthropology at Columbia, and became an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance; her apartment became a haven for artists and writers. She traveled extensively and had two brief marriages, but spent most of her life alone.

Their Eyes Were Watching God, her vibrant depiction of the lives of blacks, was initially criticized for not trying harder to combat racism. Today, this classic novel has a wide readership and academic recognition. Hurston was poor all her life; her biggest royalty check was for $943.75. She worked in a library, substitute taught, cleaned houses, and died a recluse without even a headstone. One was supplied in 1973 by the writer Alice Walker, who recognized Hurston as a trail-blazing writer. It reads: “Zora Neale Hurston: A Genius of the South.”

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

I Love Myself When I Am Laughing…and Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive. A collection of all writings by Hurston, called “One of the greatest writers of our time” by Toni Morrison.

Orange Blossom

Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Orange County, Florida, and blossomed into a trail-blazing writer with a sunny demeanor. Self-assured and intelligent, she rose above prejudice, saying: “How can anyone deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”

3/4 oz. gin

3/4 oz. sweet vermouth

3/4 oz. orange juice

Orange wheel

Pour ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange wheel. Serves 1.