Civic Season Guidebook 2025 (1) - Flipbook - Page 18
INSPIRE IN
THE ARCHIVES
meet your guide, ZORa NEALE HURSTON.
I’m an anthropologist and writer driven by an insatiable curiosity about the
rich cultural landscapes of the American South. My work isn’t only research;
it’s also a preservation of overlooked voices whose stories are rarely heard.
Traveling through Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana in the early 20th century,
I collected folktales, songs, and oral histories that pulse with the rhythm
of Black rural life. These works are living archives that hold wisdom beyond
academic texts. Through my fieldwork and writing, I sought to capture the
humor, resilience, and profound cultural complexity found in these
extraordinary communities.
I drew directly from these communities’ stories to transform what I
observed into books like Their Eyes Are Watching God (1937). Discover with
me how curiosity can ignite inspiration and transform everyday encounters
into profound explorations of human experience.
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