Summary

Zora Neale Hurston, one the first great African-American novelists, was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance and an inspiration for future generations of writers. Widely studied in high school literature courses, her novels are admired for their depiction of Southern black culture and their strong female characters.

Critical Companion to Zora Neale Hurston is a reliable and up-to-date resource for high school and college-level students, providing reliable information on Hurston's life and work. This new volume covers all her writings, including Their Eyes Were Watching God; her landmark works of folklore and anthropology, such as Mules and Men; and shorter works, such as her story "The Gilded Six-Bits." Detailed entries on her life and related people, places, and topics round out this comprehensive and in-depth guide.

Entries include:

• Synopses and critical assessments of all of Hurston's work
• Descriptions of Hurston's characters, including Janie Mae Crawford and Tea Cake Woods
• Descriptions of people, places, and topics important to Hurston’s life and work, including dialect, Howard University, Alice Walker, and much more
• Appendixes, including a chronology and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Index. Appendix. Bibliographies. Cross-references. Chronology.

About the Author(s)

Sharon L. Jones is an associate professor of English at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She is the co-editor of The Prentice Hall Anthology of African American Literature and the author of Rereading the Harlem Renaissance: Race, Class, and Gender in the Fiction of Jessie Fauset, Zora Neale Hurston, and Dorothy West.

Reviews and Awards

"...a useful guide to anyone who wishes to know more about Hurston and the world she lived in."

"...an impressive single-volume reference companion...an invaluable contribution to the study of Hurston and a welcome addition to the...series. Highly recommended."

"...an excellent introductory resource for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries."

"...a useful guide to anyone who wishes to know more about Hurston and the world she lived in."

"...an impressive single-volume reference companion...an invaluable contribution to the study of Hurston and a welcome addition to the...series. Highly recommended."

"...an excellent introductory resource for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries."