this story through the use of the negro language,provided an entertaining stor

The African American Library's Journey to Freedom series wants to educate children about the achievements and contributions of America's noted African American leaders, inventors, educators, scientists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and sports figures. As the number of volumes is increased the series gets beyond what we would consider the obvious choices for such biographies to those who are not so obvious. For example, in terms of writers the series has devoted books to Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Toni Morrison. Now young readers are introduced to Zora Neale Hurston in this informative volume by Deborah Cannarella.

Hurston's name was not familiar to me, but as Cannarella points out at the end of this volume, Hurston died without fame or wealth. However, because she devoted her life to the celebration of the African-American culture she deserves to be remembered as the most published African-American woman writer of the 1930s. Hurston wrote short stories ("Drenched in Light," "Spunk"), poetry ("O Night"), and plays ("Mule Bone," written with Langston Hughes). But primarily she should be remembered for her novels, most notably "Mules and Men," the first book of African-American folklore written by an African-American, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," based on her travels to Jamaica and Haiti, and her autobiography, "Dust Tracks on a Road."

One of the strengths of the Journey to Freedom series is that these books are always more than just juvenile biographies. You will find out the major details of Hurston's life, but Cannarella also tells of the times in which the writer lived. Consequently you also get a picture of what life was like in the city of Eatonville, Florida, one of the first African-American towns to be run by blacks, as well as learn about the Jim Crow laws that kept whites and "coloreds" part. The book is illustrated mostly with historic black & white photographs of Hurston, her friends, and some of the places where she lived. I especially liked the way Cannarella used the notion of folktales to provide a thread that links the episodes of Hurston's life together. As with the volumes on other great writers, I would think this one would inspire young readers to track down some of Hurston's works as well.

It was said from those that knew her best, that African-American folklore was Zora Neale Hurston's first love. The ability to manifest in, and excel within the margins of her own people'swapping lies, telling tales, and giving unique meaning to life from the backhand side. Thus, if any part of her legacy is to prevail, one should pay close attention to this side of her that I feel truly helped to define her writing style. No doubt, the genesis of it all goes back to her Eatonville, Florida roots sitting on the porch of the neighborhood story listening to the older men adhere to the aforementioned. Subsequently as a Barnard student of Anthropology under the guidance of Franz Boaz, she embarked in 1927 on a two-year effort to collect samples of African-American folklore. This sets the stage for Negro Tales From The Gulf States, which can boast of an interesting evolution. This is a book written by Zora that was almost an afterthought, until recently discovered after lying in obscurity for nearly 30 years. All of this time, it was stored in a basement at Columbia University, and 20 more at the Smithsonian before coming to light at the urging of the author's estate and others.

What we have here in borrowing Zora's own words ' 'authenticity to preserve the tale-tellers way of speaking'savoring the boiled-down juice of human living'. The book is well written and organized by subject. Read it and revel in how the author used and presented vernacular that would be recognized today as Ebonics'everyday idiomatic expressionism. You will witness improvisational wordplay and given an apt explanation of how these folktales were collected, lost, found, and examined for the deep significance they hold today. These lost southern tales are brought to life by Zora's commanding use of syntax mixed with a sense of urgency. Most of them are infused with humorous stories making a point that we can all identify with. She makes it pointedly clear that folktales were a direct link to our ancestral background, and served a purpose. I marveled at how she was able to use stories made famous by others in how they were reworked and related from a black point of view, giving them a special cross-cultural ring. For instance, to the story of a woman who promises the devil that she will break up a marriage in exchange for a pair of shoes, or how she gives reasons why God gave women keys to the bedroom, the kitchen, and the cradle. You will die laughing, and you will definitely be amused by the punch lines and the Zora penchant for comedic timing.

If there's a reason to want to understand folktales told from the mind of this unique storyteller, you'd want to be enlightened in digesting this type of wit that the author seem to make timeless. In accumulating this body of work, Hurston clearly placed as much emphasis on imagination as on truism. Often she got both. With all the other offering of late alluding to Zora Neale Hurston, you might as well add this book to your collection. You won't regret it!

If only Zora Neale Hurston could've published this book during her lifetime! Luckily her papers containing her research were rediscoveredand we now have this gorgeous collection of stories. Some of them were familiar to me from listening to my grandparents tell tall tales, others were completely new. These stories are funny, frightening and enlightening. Our elders and ancestors were amazing people with a tough and even cynical sense of humor. If we are lucky more of Hurston's research will be found and more will be published.

Kimberley Wilson, author of 11 Things Mama Never Told You About Men

If you grew up hearing older folks get together and swap wild stories, or if you have an academic interest in folklore, then this is for you! Essentially, the great Folklorist Zora Neale Hurston spent 1928 and 29 among rural Blacks in Florida and Alabama jotting down their folk tales and witty sayings. Being a Black Southerner herself gave her an insider's access that made her interviewees comfortable in sharing with her. The final manuscript, "Negro Folktales of the Gulf States" remained unpublished till now. Some of these tales were published in 1935 with a framework story of Miss Hurston's adventures among her interviewees entitled "Mules and Men." But here, the stories exist in their orignial, uncut form without a framework story. Once the modern reader becomes accustomed to the printed approximation of Southern African-American dialect, you can sit back and enjoy the folk wisdom and humorous tales. So imagine that Grandpa, Uncle Wille, and all the others are gathered around your porch with a pitcher of lemonade on a pleasant afternoon and enjoy this African-American equivalent to "Aesop's Fables" and "The Arabian Nights."

There are several things that make this book very enjoyable. One is the collection of folklore and "hoodoo", obtained from first-hand information. Ms. Hurston went to Florida for several months to gather her collection of folklore, and then to New Orleans for several more to study under various witchdoctors to gather the "hoodoo" information. Another is that she details her trips to these places. The stories aren't just written out and numbered; you know exactly who told them and under what conditions. I found this really helped me identify with the story much more. Finally, I'm from small-town Florida, and several of the places mentioned were very familiar to me. It's always nice to read a fellow-Floridian's work.

A fantastic collection by Zora Neale Hurtson. Includes spells, and superstions, witch craft, and some of the best short stories around. She gathers up the urban legends of the 1930-40's rural south and connects you to a culture and way of thinking that is both delightful and intriguing. At times amusing; it is written in the way of oral tradition, where people gather around and tell stories, the more outlandish, the more unique the better. Her work is simply wonderful. A great book, and good for those bad weather days.

This audio tape recorded by Ruby Dee of Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men absolutely makes the case for audio-books because of Dee's extraordinary performance. I seriously doubt that Hurston could do better herself. It is so great that this is the third time I am buying it. The first two copies are owned by my Mom (artist Faith Ringgold) who is bi-coastal and keeps a copy loaded in the tape player ready to play, day or night, on each coast, and the third is for me because now from listening to my Mom's tapes I am as addicted to it as she is. This is becoming true of a lot of her friends. Whether you are doing something else or just listening, it fits in perfectly, and it is full of wisdom and laughs. It is absolutely the best, and I would buy anything else that Ruby Dee ever had anything to do with because she is the glue that makes it work.

I had to read this for school and although its a pretty good book, most high schoolers seriously wouldn't like it. it's informative but not really for pleasure reading

A good read. Hurston does an excellent job of depicting the parallel experiences of the captivity of the Israelites and the American Slave. In fact, one could argue that the experience of the Israelites is the American Slave experience. This is a great book for high school reading, it provides a variety of cause and effect themes that all young adults need to know; among them, if you oppress a people or person you breed fear, insecurity, and eventual self hatred in that human. I highly recommend Their Eyes Were Watching God another of Hurston's literary jewels. jewels.

A poetic, topical book that puts a contemporary twist on historical and spiritual (and political) issues pertaining to human rights and human potential. Highly recommended. Readers young and old should also pick up Hurston's "Tell My Horse: Voodoo And Life In Haiti And Jamaica."

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I also saw a performance in Cleveland, OH. The book is so jazzy you really can feel each characters emotions. I loved the "Gilded Six Bits" part. It's a toe-tappin',finger-snappin',belly-shakin',buttocks movin' kinda book! You will enjoy it!

The short stories contained in this book reflect the manifold talents of Zora Neale Hurston as a fiction writer. Hurston knew her subject matter inside and out, whether it be the poor African American communities of Florida or Harlem during the "Renaissance." She blends folklore and keen observations with her anthropological knowledge to create stories that seem like little pieces of real life. In stories like "Spunk," "Isis" and "Sweat," she heralds her brilliant novels such as "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and "Jonah's Gourd Vine." Hurston's mastery of biblical themes and styles is reflected in "Book of Harlem" and "Herod on Trial" (in the appendix), a skill she would later put to use in her masterpiece "Moses, Man of the Mountain." Also, in almost all of the stories, the dialogue is authentic and very fun to read.

Make no mistake, this is a travelogue, not an ethnography in the traditional sense. Hurston, who was a voodoo priestess of a high order herself, was too immersed in the culture to really view it objectively, which is necessary for any anthropologist. That said, it's still a very interesting read and certainly emphasizes the fact that voudon is a valid religion and not a set of superstitions. However, I'm puzzled as to why Ismael Reed (himself an accomplished writer) is listed as a credit. Did he write the introduction? Because he didn't write this book. Hurston wrote it. She traveled to Haiti by herself in the 30s to investigate this. It was not written by Reed.

The writing of Zora Neale Hurston is fine. The content of the book is, in his second part, is a "first hand" experience of what voodoo was in 1930. This is therefore a classical and valuable source of knowledge. Interesting enough, Zora Neale Hurston took probably part at various voodoo initiations, and we would have been interested to know more about her experiences, feelings, philosophical and religious insights. Unfortunately for us, she respected the "secret de l'arcane" which characterizes most of the so called esoteric societies. There is also hope for Haïti in this book, but it demonstrates also the power of USA to bring some kind of mismatch in the political affairs and economic life of a poor and very small country. Abobo!

Reading this book is like travelling along with Ms. Neale Hurston as she explores life in Haiti. You will meet fanscinating and intriguing people. The practices and beliefs are explained in just enough detail to make you feel like you were there, but all the mystery is retained as even the author is unable to explain or understand the depth of experience and strength of beliefs held by the native Haitians. Finding non-fiction that reads like a novel is a rare and wonderful treasure.

It was eye-opening to finally read this wonderful piece of literature after having read many books by authors such as Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. I see so much of Hurston's influence in the workds of these two latter-day, African-American, female writers. I thank Hurston, therefore, not only for this revealing and touching book, but also for the perpetual influence it has left on the literary world. As we see Janie looking out into the darkness "watching God", so we also see the desire by black Americans, sepcifically women, to reveal their true nature, embrace it, and share it with a mainstream society that has taken it for granted or ignored it. The emotions in this book run deep and are extremely intense, forcing the reader to care for these people, for what they are, and see their struggles as worthy of respect.

Zora Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is an amazing heartfelt novel about a young black women attempting to find her herself growing up in the Deep South. Hurston. This novel captures the universal experiences of pain and happiness, love and loss. The novel is an interesting, and slightly atypical portrayal of black community as seen at the time of the Harlem Renaissance. This book is about Janie's journey to find herself and to discover that the only thing that is truly important is to find out what life is for yourself.
The novel showed the oppression from racism, and also the hardships from sexism at the same time. The emotions in this book run deep and are extremely intense, forcing the reader to care for these people, for what they are, and see their struggles as worthy of respect. In a nutshell, this novel tells the life a Negro woman trying to live a happy life through difficult times. This local color reveals the struggle that women have because they are women and especially because they are black. This combination presents many obstacles for Janie as well as for African American women today.
"Their eyes as a novel did for literature what the minstrel shows did for the theater, that is, to make white folks laugh". After reading this statement by Richard Wright I came to expect all African-American fiction to focus, at least partially, on exposing and protesting racism. This was and is a worthy cause, but, I must confess, it makes reading more laborious. Surely, I thought, there was more to the pre-civil rights black story than simply fighting against the injustices of whitey.

If you read only one book this year, let it be _Their Eyes Were Watching God_. It is one of the only books I've read that I have truly and completely enjoyed. Your interest will be maintained throughout the entire book in this compelling story about the main character, Janie.

Janie's story takes place in the South just after the turn of the 20th century, and Hurston gives powerful descriptions of the race and gender relations of that era. Janie is racially mixed, and the book explores how she is consequently barred from the white world but excluded in many ways from the black world.

At the beginning of her story, Janie remarks, "Ah know exactly what Ah got to tell yuh, but it's hard to know where to start at." Hurston's charming use of dialect serves to enrich the reader's understanding of the character's culture and adds to the novel's atmosphere.

Hurston paints us a world rich with imagery and symbolism of nature, love, and life. You will not be able to resist Hurston's exquisite accounts of the world, as when she writes, "Oh to be a pear tree -_any_ tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world! [Janie] was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her."

The most compelling aspect of the novel is the personal journey that Janie goes through. The reader will follow Janie as she embarks on her search for love, with all its disappointments and fulfillments. Janie's experiences teach her about herself and what she wants in life. Through this self-realization, she secures her identity and reaches empowerment. This book will make you cry, it will make you laugh, it will enrage you, but most importantly it will make you _think_.

I've just finished reading this book as a summer reading assignment for school, and to my surprise, I found myself actually enjoying it. I went into the reading of this book with reluctance. I've read THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, and while I enjoyed that book at first, I was always frustrated that the main character had to find herself through dependence on men, namely Tea Cake, whom I despised because of his controlling nature and ultimate betrayal. However, despite my prejudices against it, this book managed to grab my attention.

That is, in the last three chapters. I did not think this book was mostly an account of the other books Hurston has written, as some other readers have stated. Hurston only focused one or two chapters toward the middle of the book on other works, but even then it was only to list when she wrote which book, not to go in depth on the process and motivation. However, it seemed to me that it was an account of Hurston's journey through life, including details on her childhood in Eatonville. This is all well and good, except, especially as Hurston gets into the adult years, she tends to gloss over much of the details, omitting names, and mentioning events which obviously impacted her life yet for some personal reason or another, refusing to describe to the reader these events for fear of who knows what.

This was only the first confusing element. I also had a difficulty with Hurston's writing style. She tends to jump from one anecdote in the middle of another with no explanation before returning to her original story, which left me as the reader, feeling befuddled. The sequence of the chapters, out of her childhood, also does not really seem to follow a sequential storyline.

I was also bothered with Hurston's portrayal of herself, especially her childhood self. She seems to portray herself as the only child there ever was with an active imagination. Perhaps I am actually a member of the privileged minority, but I know that I told myself stories and had imaginary friends when I was a child. I was also very devoted to literature, and reading, as I still am, though Hurston's individualities in that area are more understandable, perhaps, considering the circumstances.

Despite all this, I walked away from this book with a respect for Hurston that I hadn't felt before because of the last three or so chapters in the book where Hurston discusses her thoughts and feelings on her race, and the inter-racial strife which hurt the African-American Civil Rights movement. I also enjoyed the appendix in which the reader is allowed a glimpse at Hurston's more controversial writing.

I don't hold a grudge against Hurston's perhaps unorthodox method of writing an autobiography, far from it. In fact, I think this book would have benefited greatly if Hurston had included more of her personal view points on the world as she did in the last few chapters. Hurston was often criticized for writing African-American literature that was not a rousing cry for Civil Rights, in this book, Hurston finally explains WHY. It also would have been helpful if Hurston either would have detailed the events in her life which were so groundbreaking, or simply not mentioned them at all, instead of saying "Then this happened and it changed my life and for that I will be forever grateful, but I'm not going to tell you anything about what it was." The strange presence of such passages was much more disquieting then their absence would have been.

So in conclusion, I'm glad this book included an appendix, and I do feel Hurston deserves some plaudits for writing what was eventually a stimulating autobiography.

The autobiography of Zora Neale Hurston, "Dust Tracks on the Road", proved to be an incredibly interesting book. This book shows the hardships that Zora underwent during her rise from childhood poverty in the rural south to a prominent place among the leading artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance. One part of the book that really caught my attention is how Zora manages to give her reader glimpses of a character that is a very public and privet artist, writer, and companion of black heritage. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen as well as straighten their knowledge of the African American Heritige.

This autobiography of Zora Neale Hurston was very fascinating. She talks about her childhood on to her others works. I found this very humorous. I recommend this book for anyone wanting a interseting read.