[VRX]⋙ [PDF] Dust Tracks on a Road An Autobiography Harper Perennial Modern Classics Zora Neale Hurston Maya Angelou 9780060854089 Books

Dust Tracks on a Road An Autobiography Harper Perennial Modern Classics Zora Neale Hurston Maya Angelou 9780060854089 Books

Download As PDF : Dust Tracks on a Road An Autobiography Harper Perennial Modern Classics Zora Neale Hurston Maya Angelou 9780060854089 Books

Dust Tracks on a Road An Autobiography Harper Perennial Modern Classics Zora Neale Hurston Maya Angelou 9780060854089 Books

Nora Neale Hurston wrote an interesting autobiography which is basically a "rags to riches" book. Her book is a lesson about rising above one's circumstances. In fact Hurston described herself as "sassy and NEVER accepting apprehensively convention wisdom. In other words, Hurston's book is one of encouragement following one's desires dreams rather than the status quo. The book should be required reading for those who have intellectual dreams but are afraid to try.

Robert Hemenways's introduction is useful. While Hemenway described the book as peculiar, he is wrong. Hurston's autobiography is one of inspiration and careful reflection. While Hurston was not necessarily a political activist, whatever that means, she was astute. She scathingly denounced President Truman's order to drop atomic bombs on innocent civilians in August, 1945 when the Japanese were ready to surrender in February, 1945 per the MacArthur Memorandum in February, 1945. She also condemned the "war crimes" trials of Japanese leaders after WW II-whatever a war crime is. As Hurston commented. "...War is war."

The introduction was followed Hurston's description of family life. Hurston's father migrated from Alabama to Florida where he became the mayor of the first incorporated black city in Eatonville, Florida. Hurston's description of the courtship between her parents was amusing. Hurston's father was a Baptist pastor who pestered Hurston's mother by writing notes in hymnals and flirtation. As Hurston wryly responded, her mother married "just to get rid of her father. What may surprise readers is that even among poor segregated blacks in the South, there was a "pecking order" and class distinctions. Hurston's father was of mixed race ancestry and was considered born out of wedlock.

Hurston was consider "sassy" which relatives warned could lead to lynching or shooting. Hurston's father resented her being feisty, but her mother argued that such a feisty attitude was an asset since it could lead to independent thinking. Hurston's mother taught Huston grammar, reading, arithmetic/decimals, and whatever else the mother knew. This was rare among poor segregated blacks in the South.

Hurston also described her childhood friends and the petty spats she had with her friends. For example, had a silly spat that the moon loved one girl more than the other. After an angry exchange, the two girls reconciled their silly spat. Hurston remarked that she liked to break curfew even if it meant a "whipping.

As mentioned above, Hurston was "sassy." She was also very clever. Hurston got into a school in Maryland by lying about her age. She reported to be ten years young than she actually was. Hurston did well in school and was an eager student. In other words, Hurston realized that she was smarter than she was led to believe.

As feisty and determined as Hurston was, she reported on her disappoints which NEVER led to fatalistic despair. When Hurston's mother died, her father remarried, and the second wife forced Hurston out of the house. Hurston had to reside with different family members and was starved for books. She got a break when she was hired as a maid in the North. She also worked as a waitress and got an acting "gig." She saved money and continued learning. She met two friends who were Fanny Hurst and Ethel waters who remained friends for the remainder of their lives.

Hurston wrote a chapter title "My people! My people! which related the vestiges of US race relations. She also related that among blacks, she described them as "uncouth Negros and gentleman Negros. Yet, Hurston never let he success and fame interfere with her relations with others regard of wealth and reputation. Such an attitude influenced Hurston's religious views. She was an agnostic who considered that people were blessed by Father Sun, and that regardless of race, status, or wealth. As Hurston noted, we are part of the Cosmos, and such distinctions have little meaning "in the grand scheme of things."

As stated above, this book should be required reading for young students to inform them what "guts" and determination can achieve regardless of one's social status. Hurston's book is a reminder of that what people can achieve in spite of disappointments and criticism. Her book is a n inspiration and tribute to the human spirit.

James E. Egolf
February 24, 2016


Tags : Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) [Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. “Warm, witty, imaginative. . . . This is a rich and winning book.”—<em>The New Yorker</em><br/><br/><em>Dust Tracks on a Road </em>is the bold,Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou,Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography (Harper Perennial Modern Classics),Harper Perennial,0060854081,Cultural Heritage,Literary,African American authors,African American women - Southern States,African American women;Southern States;Biography.,African Americans - Southern States,Authors, American - 20th century,Authors, American;20th century;Biography.,Folklorists - United States,Harlem Renaissance,Hurston, Zora Neale,Hurston, Zora Neale.,Southern States - Social life and customs,20th century,African American women,Authors, American,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cultural, Ethnic & Regional General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Literary Figures,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Women,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography & AutobiographyCultural, Ethnic & Regional - General,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: literary,GENERAL,General Adult,HURSTON, ZORA NEALE, 1901-1960,Non-Fiction,Southern States,United States,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cultural, Ethnic & Regional General,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Literary Figures,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Women,Biography & AutobiographyCultural, Ethnic & Regional - General,Biography Autobiography,20th century,African American women,Authors, American,Biography,Southern States,Hurston, Zora Neale, 1901-1960,Biography & Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: literary

Dust Tracks on a Road An Autobiography Harper Perennial Modern Classics Zora Neale Hurston Maya Angelou 9780060854089 Books Reviews

If you haven't read any Hurston, this is where you starther idea of what matters in her life. She can write a whirlwind,startle you,make you laugh,make you uncomfortable. As a precursor to Maya Angelou, Hurston ranked 'way up there in the Harlem Renasissance - knew everyone who mattered,danced on table tops, got grand with the white establishment, got down with the black. A voluptuary with words, she was unafraid to do (be, work, love) where necessary in order to keep herself and her wagon on the road. She had an elevated sense of self, but was also unforgivably modest. Loved what we call "bold-faced" names but was unafraid to wash their bathrooms if she needed. Married a couple of times(she's a little unclear about this),alienated her readers as often as she seduced them, grew up trouble-free and then on meeting it,conquered it. More, she was an accredited and diplomaed anthropologist, a graduate of Barnard, fearless in her travels. She'll knock you out but you won't be satisfied because a lot of her story she doesn't tell. For that, you have to go to her niece's biography. Sketchy, brilliant, full of airs and graces but 'way down deep, one of a kind.

John Neufeld, author of
LISA, BRIGHT AND DARK (on ) and EDGAR ALLAN (also on ).
It's great reading this because if you've also read Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," you can see where Zora got some of the material that appeared in her book. She assembles words with grace. She captures Southern Black dialect of the early part of the century quite well (I do remember that!), and her characterizations seem right -- according to a white person's recollection, anyway. (The preface by Maya Angelou strongly suggests she wrote for the white reader, not the black reader, which -- in my view is understandable since her teachers, professors, and other mentors were almost all white.) Wait -- I can't remember if Angelou's preface was in this one or in "Watching God" because I let someone borrow the two books. I think it was this one, though. But I couldn't down put either of the two books. She tells a great story without much apparent anger, with plenty of color and an overall nonjudgmental acceptance of the role/position of black people in the age in which she grew up and wrote. That role/position is not at all acceptable today. But these were different times, which is not to say the subordinate position was okay. But the fact that she writes about it in a matter-of-fact way possibly helps communicate emotions, motivations, thoughts shared between individuals who all lived within that culture, which is one of the many reasons it is a pleasant read, not a terribly disturbing read, and also, perhaps, therefore more enlightening to many than it might have been had it been interlaced with rightfully grudge-worthy terminology and thoughts. Many people probably would have ignored a book like that, while this one is a lot less likely to turn off readers, and therefore a lot more likely to inform that element that could be/would be turned off by a more strongly worded political tone. In addition to the cultural observations, the reader also gains an insight into the type of mind and type of loving upbringing she got from her mother (before her mother died) that was necessary for a bright black female to "make it" and gain a wonderful education in a white-dominated society. I'm personally sorry that she did not interweave the interplay of her personal friendships and romances over time with the scholastic, intellectual and literary aspects of her life. She separated those topics into chapters, and in doing that, I think, a lot of the potential struggles and conflicts she might have faced perhaps were left out. I got that feeling, anyway. Even so, it's a compelling read and one that I recommend.
In many ways, this feels like a rough draft. There isn't a clear through line or theme that ties the stories together, and the chapters at the end about romance, race, religion, etc. feel tacked on and incomplete, not as vital as Hurston's memories of childhood and adolescence. What kept me reading was her voice always vivid and tough and funny with these flashes of pure poetry or emotion that felt surprising in the midst of a lot of tall tales.
Nora Neale Hurston wrote an interesting autobiography which is basically a "rags to riches" book. Her book is a lesson about rising above one's circumstances. In fact Hurston described herself as "sassy and NEVER accepting apprehensively convention wisdom. In other words, Hurston's book is one of encouragement following one's desires dreams rather than the status quo. The book should be required reading for those who have intellectual dreams but are afraid to try.

Robert Hemenways's introduction is useful. While Hemenway described the book as peculiar, he is wrong. Hurston's autobiography is one of inspiration and careful reflection. While Hurston was not necessarily a political activist, whatever that means, she was astute. She scathingly denounced President Truman's order to drop atomic bombs on innocent civilians in August, 1945 when the Japanese were ready to surrender in February, 1945 per the MacArthur Memorandum in February, 1945. She also condemned the "war crimes" trials of Japanese leaders after WW II-whatever a war crime is. As Hurston commented. "...War is war."

The introduction was followed Hurston's description of family life. Hurston's father migrated from Alabama to Florida where he became the mayor of the first incorporated black city in Eatonville, Florida. Hurston's description of the courtship between her parents was amusing. Hurston's father was a Baptist pastor who pestered Hurston's mother by writing notes in hymnals and flirtation. As Hurston wryly responded, her mother married "just to get rid of her father. What may surprise readers is that even among poor segregated blacks in the South, there was a "pecking order" and class distinctions. Hurston's father was of mixed race ancestry and was considered born out of wedlock.

Hurston was consider "sassy" which relatives warned could lead to lynching or shooting. Hurston's father resented her being feisty, but her mother argued that such a feisty attitude was an asset since it could lead to independent thinking. Hurston's mother taught Huston grammar, reading, arithmetic/decimals, and whatever else the mother knew. This was rare among poor segregated blacks in the South.

Hurston also described her childhood friends and the petty spats she had with her friends. For example, had a silly spat that the moon loved one girl more than the other. After an angry exchange, the two girls reconciled their silly spat. Hurston remarked that she liked to break curfew even if it meant a "whipping.

As mentioned above, Hurston was "sassy." She was also very clever. Hurston got into a school in Maryland by lying about her age. She reported to be ten years young than she actually was. Hurston did well in school and was an eager student. In other words, Hurston realized that she was smarter than she was led to believe.

As feisty and determined as Hurston was, she reported on her disappoints which NEVER led to fatalistic despair. When Hurston's mother died, her father remarried, and the second wife forced Hurston out of the house. Hurston had to reside with different family members and was starved for books. She got a break when she was hired as a maid in the North. She also worked as a waitress and got an acting "gig." She saved money and continued learning. She met two friends who were Fanny Hurst and Ethel waters who remained friends for the remainder of their lives.

Hurston wrote a chapter title "My people! My people! which related the vestiges of US race relations. She also related that among blacks, she described them as "uncouth Negros and gentleman Negros. Yet, Hurston never let he success and fame interfere with her relations with others regard of wealth and reputation. Such an attitude influenced Hurston's religious views. She was an agnostic who considered that people were blessed by Father Sun, and that regardless of race, status, or wealth. As Hurston noted, we are part of the Cosmos, and such distinctions have little meaning "in the grand scheme of things."

As stated above, this book should be required reading for young students to inform them what "guts" and determination can achieve regardless of one's social status. Hurston's book is a reminder of that what people can achieve in spite of disappointments and criticism. Her book is a n inspiration and tribute to the human spirit.

James E. Egolf
February 24, 2016