On Excavation #002: Zora Neale Hurston
On Excavation is a series of field notes and reflections on archival finds in roughly 200 words
Much of the pleasure I experience in curating archival materials for Black Women Writers Project comes from the process of wonder and curiosity that exists in the finding process. Surrendering to exploration gives me a feeling of joy reminiscent of childhood. It is a kind of play that keeps me tethered to myself and the spirit of this project.
Today, the winding path led me to a manuscript by Zora Neale Hurston and her scholarship on “Harlem Slanguage.” Hurston really loved us. She loved studying and documenting Black life and helped illuminate the diversity and similarities within and across communities of Black folks in the U.S. and the Atlantic. These excerpts are but a glimmer of the large body of work she produced throughout her life. Hurston’s archives and correspondence are spread across the country in different repositories, with some items available digitally. I’m grateful that items like these are made accessible for offsite researchers and that I can share my digital expeditions with all of you. // 210. kbf.
Some of my favorite ZNH-related materials:
Boyd, Valerie. Wrapped in rainbows: the Life of Zora Neale Hurston (2003)
Hurston, Zora Neale. Characteristics of Negro Expression (1934)
Kaplan, Carla. Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters (2002)
Walker, Alice. Looking for Zora (1975)
Note: The document below contains content that may be harmful or graphic in nature.
[Image Description: Two scanned pages of a typewritten manuscript listing 43 slang terms. The document is titled “Harlem Slanguage” and features a handwritten signature by Hurston below it.]