Zora Neale Hurston: Heart with Room for Every Joy [FULL Doc]

Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Haitian Vodou. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937.
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“I have the strength to walk my own path, no matter how hard, in my search for reality, and not cling to the splendid wagon of desperate illusions.” A writer of novels, short stories, folktales, plays, and essays, Zora Neale Hurston combined a hunger for research and a desire to penetrate the deepest of popular beliefs with a truly exquisite narrative talent. This illuminating biography of Hurston-a compelling story of a free spirit who achieved national prominence yet died in obscurity-examines the rich legacy of her writings, which include Mules and Men, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Tell My Horse, and Dust Tracks on a Road. Interviews with Lucy Anne Hurston, Zora’s niece and author of the biography Speak, So You Can Speak Again, and with Henry Louis Gates Jr., W. E. B. DuBois Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University, are featured. The program amply demonstrates that Hurston truly had, as it said in her high school yearbook, “A heart with room for every joy.”
Narrated by her niece, Lucy Hurston, this biographical overview of Zora Neale Hurston includes background about her life and family and growing up in Eatonville, Florida, the first chartered all Negro city in America. In 1919 Zora starts to write while attending Howard University. Zora concentrates on timeless topics of life and death, not divisive Negro topics. The way she tells a story becomes controversial as she masterfully uses African American vernacular as a standard idiom. The successful combination of Standard English and Black vernacular in her writings sets Hurston apart. She receives recognition and gradually establishes herself as a nationally known, published black female author. Zora becomes a vibrant part of the Harlem Negro movement and Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s.
As an observer of daily life and an anthropologist, Hurston becomes interested in Voodoo and travels South to collect and publish on Black Culture and American Voodoo folklore, a topic she studies all her life. Her works include her biography, Dust Tracks on a Road, Mules and Men, and Their Eyes Were Watching God, a controversial, sensual, groundbreaking work which speaks of culture, love, anxiety and “what gets us out of bed in the morning.”
Includes commentary by Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Negro Folklore classics sung by Hurston herself. All technical aspects are of professional quality.

[@Cportfinest912]

I love Zora Neal Hurston. I remember sneaking to read my mom’s book their eyes were watching God as a middle schooler. My eyes were wide open after reading that book. That book changed my view on reading.

[@chocolatethundercherry143]

What an underrated literary queen it saddens me all the bs she went through atleast she loved & respected herself enough to carry on . everytime I purchase a book of hers it brings joy to my heart .... ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@alisonbarlow7836]

Love that Zora Neale Hurston didn't conform when she was called out for being different, she embraced it, that's amazing

[@taylorcolonna457]

Zora Neale Hurston wrote in the vernacular in which she spoke. Being authentic is genius.

[@B1970T]

From the narration, pictures and period music : this was phenomenal . Thank you!

[@enchantresse23]

I’m glad they summed up how she was raised in a all black town. Now I understand why her point of view on race was like that.

[@em-qk4go]

Zora is a philosophical heroin of mine. I was born and raised in a town not too far from hers, Eatonville. I even rented a room while in college from a second cousin of Alice Walker. It's unfortunate that the rich tapestry of Zora's unique perspective on Afro american life is often left to ashes in academia. I applaud Walker, her neice, and thepostarchive for their artful share of this stupendous piece!

[@jazminnelson8507]

They did a beautiful job on this documentary about this dear lady's life . Incredible ... this is the woman who wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God . i saw the movie but have not yet read the book . Powerful story brilliantly rendered . She deserves so much more and her lifetime as she got older . Sad to hear she ended up being a housekeeper and then living in poverty . Wow , a movie , no , actually a miniseries needs to be made about her life !

[@Sunfables]

Thank you for sharing your history

[@normanbrown9225]

I thank the Universe that Zora had the mind, pen paper and the soul to write what she felt 4 ever and all times

[@MOV1983]

Thurston is an icon in African American history. A little known figure, perhaps even unknown by most, including blacks. I learned about her when I read the book "Gods of The Upper Air" by Charles King which is the history of the development of the study of anthropology in the United States. The book dedicates a large portion of its content to Thurston. Rest in peace.

[@Research0digo]

Alice Walker 'discovering' and announcing to the nation & world the great Ms Hurston reminds me of Bonnie Raitt, who did her best to locate and revive or indeed help begin elderly, forgotten black seniors, so they could make their mark, finally, however small. There aren't many people who make a concerted effort to truly put other before themselves. This, like other rare events, is what makes the person and what they accomplished 'sensational'. Raitt, Walker & other like them have hearts bigger than themselves, a servant's heart if you will. A servant (not beneath or subservient, but a helper to others) is the noblest job you can perform. Like Jesus.

[@ettaadams6125]

Excellent documentary! Thank-you.

[@phylliewilly]

How brave. How beautiful. And she was right about integration - a false sense of security. Thank you for posting this. Will read her works.

[@gloriamitchell3518]

Grateful to find this page.

[@solveigdagmar11111]

Thank you for this wonderful documentary - Sólveig Dagmar - Reykjavík Iceland.

[@Chaunti-ie3db]

I love this ❤

[@literarylady1125]

When the historian mentioned Zora's father being a womanizer and how that affected her romantic relationship. I imagine that was the inspiration for her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Who is the narrator? He has a beautiful rich voice 😍🥰

[@plezful]

“Their eyes were watching god” was inspired by the suffering in Haiti oppression’s.

[@zz0ldmovieloverzz]

no I believe that experience inspired "Jonah's Gourd Wine" a story of a womanizing preacher

[@BaldwinFanonGarveyTureShakurX]

@@plezful She wrote it while in Haiti. But It was inspired bye her relationship with Albert or one of her other lovers

[@JessSoReal]

I hate that she didn’t benefit financially from her works of art.

[@musicartlover963]

Me too,@ JessSoReal

[@Nanbebe7]

We need a biopic

[@theonetruegod1175]

Pain

[@yellolab09]

Black vernacular WAS being used by noted contemporaries like poet, Sterling Brown, so I don't get why there was such a negative response.

[@henluv1]

Of course we can’t be ourselves. That would be unnatural 🤷🏿‍♀️

[@dorandacolbert5973]

It sickens me how the Black community treated her.

[@musicartlover963]

Me too, I really hate that they didn't truly see the "black diamond "that she was. Her writings are an excellent and amazing prose.

[@jacobspaly7710]

Who is here from school?

[@marchantaegordon8201]

omg me do you have the awnsers?

[@rhodajohnson3558]

Me!!!!anyone with any answers??

[@darrelljones1053]

She reminds me so much of Queen Latifah at 35:09

[@shaunrocksthecitytvshow4117]

That was her twin almost 👌👌

[@BrightNeoDark]

Jared Taylor brought me here

[@JessSoReal]

She studied that vodoo that isn’t nothing to play with lol That’s some strong witchcraft.

[@johnlgreen7501]

If she did not do so, I wished that she had found as many ancestors of those slave masters and murderers of black peoples and hexed them all. They should have had to reap what they sowed!!!!

[@alannamorris2947]

The narrator sounds like T Michael Rambo

[@khaleelahi.l.harris7492]

The commentary on Du Bois’ philosophy of art was intellectually dishonest and very disappointing lol what a flat and uninformed analysis 🤢

[@plezful]

I could have enjoyed this documentary better without Henry skip the truth gates

[@puellaenaturalioasis]

They can't hear you.