Resurrecting Zora

A flamboyant leader during the Harlem Renaissance (an era of notable cultural
and artistic achievements from the African American community in Harlem
during the 1920s and [Marker for question 1] 1930s). Zora Neale Hurston
achieved fame and notoriety in the first half of the 20th century but then faded
into obscurity. [Marker for question 2] Raised in Eatonville, Florida, Hurston
spent her years of literary productivity in New York, only to return to Florida at
the end of her career, penniless and out of print. This renewed interest in
Hurston's work brought several of the author's works, such as Their Eyes Were
Watching God and Mules and Men, back into the literary limelight. Though
now generally recognized as an important contributor to the American literary
canon, [Marker for question 3] Hurston was one of the most controversial
authors of her time.
In 1925, Hurston began her studies at Barnard College, [Marker for question 4]
where, under the tutelage of Franz Boas,_ the “Father of Modern
Anthropology”—she embraced the idea of cultural relativism, or studying a
culture in isolation rather than in comparison to others. Her work reflected
this [Marker for question 5] exposition,_ as she sought to capture what she
termed the “natural” art of African Americans [Marker for question 6] through
speech song and folklore. By adopting the vernacular, for example, Hurston
believed that she could develop the authenticity of her characters and present
the uniqueness of African American culture. [Marker for question 7]
Hurston’s revolutionary work resulted in scathing criticism, especially from
some of the intellectual leaders of the Harlem Renaissance. Two of the
movement’s [Marker for question 8] rulers,_ authors Langston Hughes and
Richard Wright, saw Hurston’s work as a harmful caricature of African
American life and even accused Hurston of creating new stereotypes that were
no better than the old. [Marker for question 9] While Hurston viewed her work
as a tribute to a rich and sophisticated culture, her detractors saw it as a
mockery, [Marker for question 10] and Hurston’s work, according to them, was
lampooning African Americans in the worst possible way.
Today, Hurston is often revered as a fiercely independent thinker who
challenged many of the literary and social norms of her day. Since Walker’s
rediscovery of Hurston’s work, a dozen short story collections, essays, and folk
tales have been published posthumously. Festivals, foundations, literary
societies, endowed chairs, journals, and honors now exist in Hurston’s name.
[Marker for question 11] When Walker found Hurston’s unmarked grave in
1973, she purchased a headstone and inscribed the epitaph: “A Genius of the
South,” illustrating her veneration of Hurston’s work.
End of reading passage.