Happy Birthday, Zora Neale Hurston!
In my first journey to Google for the day, I was confronted with this fantastic Google Doodle
Today we celebrate the 123rd birthday of the prolific American folklore queen, Zora Neale Hurston. Mostly known for 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston's writing is at once soulful, painful and beautiful. I recently read Their Eyes Were Watching God (at the insistent recommendation of a friend whose taste I trust implicitly) for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the story and ZNH's writing. Her depiction of people whom are both complicated and simple at the same time is the essence of what we all want in a well-written character. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend you pick up one of Zora Neale Hurston's pieces to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of a woman who influenced some of the most incredible writers in our history (Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Alice Walker... just to name a few). Happy birthday, you gorgeous woman! Thank you for all you have given us!