In this course, we will examine the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston, "A Genius of the South." While she is best known for the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, she published more than 50 short stories, essays and plays. She was also an anthropologist, journalist and filmmaker who traveled throughout the American South and the Caribbean collecting black vernacular culture. Some questions we might take up include: What is the relationship between literature and anthropology in Hurston's work? How does her work converge with and depart from that of her contemporaries? What is the ongoing legacy of her writing? Writing assignments include short analysis papers, folklore collection and an in-class presentation.