Zora Neale Hurston was a very inspirational American folklorist, anthropologist and author during the Harlem Renaissance. She is well known for her exceptional novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God." The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. "She arrived in Harlem, seeking the flourishing 'New Negro Movement'. She had $1.50 in her purse, one published story to her name and, ''no job, no friends and a lot of hope.'' No, Zora Neale Hurston was not yet one of the most celebrated figures of the Harlem Renaissance." (New York Times; Her Eyes Were Watching Harlem). Like any other aspiring author, success does not come easily and working toward it can be laborious, especially due to the scarce amount of existing African American women authors in the mid-1960s. Hurston did what other writers could not. She captured the rhythms of African American life and speech in her writing. Hurston's black heritage and her family's experiences let her connect on a deeper level when other authors could not. .
Hurston's early life consisted of religion since both of the male figures in her family were preachers in the small town of Eatonville, Florida, one of the first official all-black towns to remain in the United States to this day. She was then introduced to the world of literature in 1901 at the age of 10, when Northern school teachers allowed her to read and study with their books. Later on in life, Hurston would repeatedly claim that her birth date was in 1901 rather than her legitimate birth date in 1891 because she considered this moment in her life to be her intellectual birth. Her parents realized the brilliance their daughter obtained in her childhood years and decided sent her to a boarding school where she was the only black person to ever attend (New York Times; Her Eyes Were Watching God). Although Hurston's main goal in life was to become an author, she also had serious academic interests, particularly in Anthropology.
