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Fire!! The Zora Neale Hurston Story
A bold retelling of the life of the Their Eyes Were Watching God author
Peter Bagge has defied the expectations of the comics industry by changing gears from his famous slacker hero Buddy Bradley to documenting the life and times of historical 20th century trailblazers. If Bagge had not already had a New York Times bestseller with his biography of Margaret Sanger, his newest biography, Fire!!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story, would seem to be an unfathomable pairing of author and subject. Yet through Bagge’s skilled cartooning, he turns what could be a rote biography into a bold and dazzling graphic novel, creating a story as brilliant as the life itself.
Hurston challenged the norms of what was expected of an African American woman in early 20th century society. The fifth of eight kids from a Baptist family in Alabama, Hurston’s writing prowess blossomed at Howard University, and then Barnard College, where she was the sole black student. She arrived in NYC at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and quickly found herself surrounded by peers such as Langston Hughes and Wallace Thurman.
Hurston went on to become a noted folklorist and critically acclaimed novelist, including her most provocative work Their Eyes Were Watching God. Despite these landmark achievements, personal tragedies and shifting political winds in the midcentury rendered her almost forgotten by the end of her life. With admiration and respect, Bagge reconstructs her vivid life in resounding full-color.
Peter Bagge has defied the expectations of the comics industry by changing gears from his famous slacker hero Buddy Bradley to documenting the life and times of historical 20th century trailblazers. If Bagge had not already had a New York Times bestseller with his biography of Margaret Sanger, his newest biography, Fire!!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story, would seem to be an unfathomable pairing of author and subject. Yet through Bagge’s skilled cartooning, he turns what could be a rote biography into a bold and dazzling graphic novel, creating a story as brilliant as the life itself.
Hurston challenged the norms of what was expected of an African American woman in early 20th century society. The fifth of eight kids from a Baptist family in Alabama, Hurston’s writing prowess blossomed at Howard University, and then Barnard College, where she was the sole black student. She arrived in NYC at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and quickly found herself surrounded by peers such as Langston Hughes and Wallace Thurman.
Hurston went on to become a noted folklorist and critically acclaimed novelist, including her most provocative work Their Eyes Were Watching God. Despite these landmark achievements, personal tragedies and shifting political winds in the midcentury rendered her almost forgotten by the end of her life. With admiration and respect, Bagge reconstructs her vivid life in resounding full-color.
104 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2017
11 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Peter Bagge
277 books166 followersPeter Bagge is an American cartoonist known for his irreverent, kinetic style and his incisive, black-humored portrayals of middle-class American youth. He first gained recognition with Neat Stuff, which introduced characters such as Buddy Bradley, Girly-Girl, and The Bradleys, and followed it with Hate, his best-known work, which ran through the 1990s and later as annuals. Bagge’s comics often exaggerate the frustrations, absurdities, and reduced expectations of ordinary life, combining influences from Warner Brothers cartoons, underground comix, and classic cartoonists like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Robert Crumb. Beyond satire and fiction, Bagge has produced fact-based comics journalism, biographies, and historical comics, contributing to outlets such as suck.com, MAD Magazine, toonlet, Discover, and Reason. His biographical works include Woman Rebel, about Margaret Sanger, Fire!!, on Zora Neale Hurston, and Credo, on Rose Wilder Lane. Bagge has collaborated with major publishers including Fantagraphics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel, producing works such as Yeah!, Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd, Other Lives, and Reset. He has also worked in animation, creating Flash cartoons and animated commercials, and has been active as a musician in bands such as The Action Suits and Can You Imagine. Bagge’s signature art style is elastic, energetic, and exaggerated, capturing movement and comic expression in a way that amplifies both humor and social commentary. His personal politics are libertarian, frequently reflected in his comics and essays, and he has been a longtime contributor to Reason magazine. Bagge’s work combines biting satire, historical insight, and a relentless visual inventiveness, making him a central figure in American alternative comics for over four decades.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
July 4, 2017
I saw the description of this book-- a graphic novel biography of Zora Neale Hurston!-- right around the time I finished Their Eyes Were Watching God for the second time, and appreciated it a hell of a lot more the second time around. So of course I put Fire!! on hold immediately. And, well. It was a book?
Fire!! does tell the story of Hurston's life, as accurately as we know it, but... idk, man, it was just kind of unsettling to me? The author is a white man, and it shows in his writing, especially in the footnotes, which I read because of course I did. Unfortunately, they ruined the rest of the book for me. He was patronizing towards Hurston and occasionally very nasty, as well as weirdly focused on various people's homosexuality and very certain about the sexuality of people we don't have any proof for. As much as I like seeing queer people in history, this felt... idk.
Plus, I really didn't like the art. Can't say I'd really recommend this one to anyone.
Fire!! does tell the story of Hurston's life, as accurately as we know it, but... idk, man, it was just kind of unsettling to me? The author is a white man, and it shows in his writing, especially in the footnotes, which I read because of course I did. Unfortunately, they ruined the rest of the book for me. He was patronizing towards Hurston and occasionally very nasty, as well as weirdly focused on various people's homosexuality and very certain about the sexuality of people we don't have any proof for. As much as I like seeing queer people in history, this felt... idk.
Plus, I really didn't like the art. Can't say I'd really recommend this one to anyone.
Read
February 19, 2022The graphic novel format is a fun and visually appealing way to take in a memoir. Zora Neale Hurston’s grandparents were born into slavery and it was rumored her father was the illegitimate son of a plantation owner, who showed him great favor. From her earliest days Zora had an insatiable curiosity of people and the world. In a time where a woman getting an education was a luxury, let alone an African American woman, she was headstrong and pursued her goals as a multifaceted writer. She once shaved ten years off her age to attend high school! Zora remained true to herself and lived the unconventional life of pursuing her own dreams, staying ambivalent toward marriage, and not being economically dependent on a man. Complete with a wonderfully detailed, WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE section in the back with photographs included for more in depth reading. Also try, "Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads", "Persepolis", "Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic." -Lisanne E.
November 22, 2017
This graphic novel jumps all over the place. To make any sense of it, you have to have read Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks on a Road. And if you have read Hurston's autobiography, there isn't much reason to read Fire!!. The drawings border on offensive in places, especially Hurston as a child. Bagge skips key moments in Hurston's life that would indicate where she is and what she's doing. For example, it's not until Hurston's employer gets married that it's revealed to readers that the woman was an actress and Hurston had been traveling with a theater group.
At the end of the graphic novel are pages and pages of explanations of what's happening in each comic panel or page. Why didn't the author incorporate that information into the graphic novel? Why not add a framing device, such as him as the narrator? I can see how a white man in 2017 narrating a black woman's experiences during the Harlem Renaissance would be frowned upon, but he could have added a layer of his experience reading Hurston and what her story means to him and people in 2017. Instead, readers get to the huge section of type. Not only that, but Bagge adopts a crappy attitude, at one point claiming Hurston often wore white because it was so hot where she traveled, but he always depicted her in yellow, that it's a signifier in comic books (and that readers wouldn't understand. Yes, he actually made that argument. Funny? Not really. Plenty of people have written about and analyzed Hurston's life; Bagge adds little to nothing.
At the end of the graphic novel are pages and pages of explanations of what's happening in each comic panel or page. Why didn't the author incorporate that information into the graphic novel? Why not add a framing device, such as him as the narrator? I can see how a white man in 2017 narrating a black woman's experiences during the Harlem Renaissance would be frowned upon, but he could have added a layer of his experience reading Hurston and what her story means to him and people in 2017. Instead, readers get to the huge section of type. Not only that, but Bagge adopts a crappy attitude, at one point claiming Hurston often wore white because it was so hot where she traveled, but he always depicted her in yellow, that it's a signifier in comic books (and that readers wouldn't understand. Yes, he actually made that argument. Funny? Not really. Plenty of people have written about and analyzed Hurston's life; Bagge adds little to nothing.
April 22, 2018
Though I was largely disappointed with Peter Bagge's Women Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story, I still picked up Fire!!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story. I thought going in with clearer expectations would help. It did a bit, but the book still left a sour taste in my mouth.
Bagge does begin with a nice introduction of "Why Hurston," to explain why he chose Hurston as a subject, and I was prepared for the noodle arms art of only eruptive moments in Hurston's life. The comic is again a quick & dirty version of Hurston's biography, with a proper biography in the back matter, styled as annotations to the comic art. It was a chore to keep flipping back and forth. The one shining point is Bagge's grasp of Hurston's political philosophies and "warts-and-all" approach to blackness in art. For example, knee-jerk liberalism would take umbrage with Hurston's stance on segregation/integration...until they stopped and listened to the rest of what she had to say, which is that all schools should be funded and no one should be forced to live & work where they don't want.
Bagge's understanding of Hurston's philosophies, however, made other points in his annotations even more jarring. There were multiple moments of attempted humor that did not land. Bagge calls Langston Hughs a doofus and skewers him for struggling with his gay identity. Hurston's possible attraction to women is dismissed as a prank. At one point, Bagge makes a "triggered!!" joke. These moments abruptly reminded me that a white man wrote this, and he is still un-learning his own prejudices (hopefully).
Like with Women Rebel, I was left desperate to read Hurston's life story in her own words, instead of through translation and interpretation. Thank goodness she was prolific.
Bagge does begin with a nice introduction of "Why Hurston," to explain why he chose Hurston as a subject, and I was prepared for the noodle arms art of only eruptive moments in Hurston's life. The comic is again a quick & dirty version of Hurston's biography, with a proper biography in the back matter, styled as annotations to the comic art. It was a chore to keep flipping back and forth. The one shining point is Bagge's grasp of Hurston's political philosophies and "warts-and-all" approach to blackness in art. For example, knee-jerk liberalism would take umbrage with Hurston's stance on segregation/integration...until they stopped and listened to the rest of what she had to say, which is that all schools should be funded and no one should be forced to live & work where they don't want.
Bagge's understanding of Hurston's philosophies, however, made other points in his annotations even more jarring. There were multiple moments of attempted humor that did not land. Bagge calls Langston Hughs a doofus and skewers him for struggling with his gay identity. Hurston's possible attraction to women is dismissed as a prank. At one point, Bagge makes a "triggered!!" joke. These moments abruptly reminded me that a white man wrote this, and he is still un-learning his own prejudices (hopefully).
Like with Women Rebel, I was left desperate to read Hurston's life story in her own words, instead of through translation and interpretation. Thank goodness she was prolific.
March 28, 2017
Before I read this book the only thing I knew about ZNH was that she wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God and that she died destitute in Ft. Pierce (I had seen her house when I went there on vacation a few years back). This book gave me insights as to her colorful, controversial life.
August 5, 2017
Similar in some ways to Bagge's comics biography of Margaret Sanger. Obviously Hurston and Sanger were two different people. And my memories of the Sanger book are foggy enough that, if I try to compare and contrast the two any further, I'll just be asking for trouble.
I really had, at best, only a vague notion as to who Zora Neale Hurston even was going into this. She seems to have been quite a character. Reading this book has definitely piqued my curiousity about her books, though when--or if--I'll get around to reading any of them I decline to speculate. And although I've heard of the Harlem Renaissance before, this book is my first real exposure to some of the personalities involved.
The history was interesting, and Bagge's footnotes at the end going into more detail about incidents and people are almost more fascinating than the book itself. His drawing style looks cartoony enough that I keep forgetting how good he can be with more serious subject matter. Recommended!
I really had, at best, only a vague notion as to who Zora Neale Hurston even was going into this. She seems to have been quite a character. Reading this book has definitely piqued my curiousity about her books, though when--or if--I'll get around to reading any of them I decline to speculate. And although I've heard of the Harlem Renaissance before, this book is my first real exposure to some of the personalities involved.
The history was interesting, and Bagge's footnotes at the end going into more detail about incidents and people are almost more fascinating than the book itself. His drawing style looks cartoony enough that I keep forgetting how good he can be with more serious subject matter. Recommended!
May 15, 2017
This is an extensively researched bio, and it's clear that there's a lot of passion in this project, but I'm not sure it's entirely successful. The creator may have attempted to do too much here. The best storytelling and clearest indications of how Hurston lived and thought appear in the notes at the end of the book, not in the pages of the book itself, which is mostly a series of illustrated anecdotes and moments without a clear purpose, even biographical. Still, I enjoyed it and learned much, and I'm enticed to try more of Hurston's works. The book especially informed my views and readings of other authors, though, like Langston Hughes, whom I've read more extensively.
Read
July 4, 2023I read it and I liked it. One thing to like is that the book presents the complexity of Hurston and the events of her life without grafting on an interpretation or identifying themes. It's entertainingly told, but life is complex, and it doesn't set out to either lionize or critique its subject. It presents Hurston for what we know of her, and that's that.
March 11, 2021
Es una pasada, qué bien narrado, qué vidas tan valientes, arriesgadas y, sobre todo, tan vitales. Necesario.
April 24, 2021
I enjoyed this graphic biography by Bagge, channeling somewhat R. Crumb of the hippie comics from back in the day. The first half is the graphic representation of her life, some of which shows up in Their Eyes Were Watching God. I already knew that Zora was a force to be reckoned with and I loved how Bagge brought this to life in his illustrations. She embodied the phrase that's getting a lot of play these days: "and still she persisted".
The second half presents footnotes to the graphic pages, with lots of information and photographs to help the reader understand and flesh out her journey through life. What a life it was, sadly ending in an unmarked grave in Fort Pierce, Florida. But between her birth and death, there was a whole lot of living.
My criticism of this book is that the footnote half is of such tiny print, I can only read a little at a time before my eyes give out!
The next stop on my Zora Neal Hurston odyssey will be Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston.
Why I'm reading this: Another "one thing leading to another" choice. Just finished Their Eyes Were Watching God and was poking around in the library site for more by/about Hurston. This popped up!
The second half presents footnotes to the graphic pages, with lots of information and photographs to help the reader understand and flesh out her journey through life. What a life it was, sadly ending in an unmarked grave in Fort Pierce, Florida. But between her birth and death, there was a whole lot of living.
My criticism of this book is that the footnote half is of such tiny print, I can only read a little at a time before my eyes give out!
The next stop on my Zora Neal Hurston odyssey will be Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston.
Why I'm reading this: Another "one thing leading to another" choice. Just finished Their Eyes Were Watching God and was poking around in the library site for more by/about Hurston. This popped up!
October 11, 2020
The first two thirds of the book are in comic form, and the last one third is a timeline explanation. I felt in order to understand the comic part, you had to simultaneously read the back informative part, creating an awkward flipping back and forth. The author should have been able to combine these two aspects, and tell the entire story through the comic, without need of so much additional explanation. You had to read the back just to understand who characters in the panel were! If you don't read the back portion, you have to come in already having some knowledge of Zora Neale Hurston to understand the comic, because it really doesn't explain anything itself. Additionally, I felt the drawing portrayal of Zora was... offensive. Bottom line - if you want to actually learn about Zora and her life story, this book won't cut it.
October 3, 2017
I just loved this and completely didn't expect to. The double-page spread where Zora N.H., Langston Hughes, Bruce Nugent, Wallace Thurman, and the artist whose name I'm forgetting (Aaron Douglas?) decide to create Fire!! captures their frustration and energy perfectly. It was extremely fast-paced (manic, even) but balanced by the notes which were informative, intriguing, and a much slower-paced experience. Highly recommended for fans of Zora as well as those interested in the African American art scene of the first half of the 20th century.
March 27, 2017
I don't usually read "graphic novels" but picked this up at the library after seeing an excerpt at the Paris Review online. His artwork is like R. Crumb's, but more restrained. I read this in one sitting - the graphic part is about 70 pages, with about another 20 pages of "notes" which explains the sources and the people identified in the graphic portion. The "notes" may sound boring, but don't skip them.
August 24, 2017
Interesting!
I learned a lot. The first 2/3 of the book is Hurston's biography told in the form of a graphic novel. The last roughly 1/3 of the book tells the "Who, What, Where, When and Why" providing an almost Cliffs Notes style commentary of exactly what was happening in Hurston's life during each page of the graphic novel.
Well done!
I learned a lot. The first 2/3 of the book is Hurston's biography told in the form of a graphic novel. The last roughly 1/3 of the book tells the "Who, What, Where, When and Why" providing an almost Cliffs Notes style commentary of exactly what was happening in Hurston's life during each page of the graphic novel.
Well done!
August 12, 2019
2.25 stars b/c this was kind of underwhelming. I feel like I would’ve enjoyed this more had I came with more knowledge on Zora Neale Hurston to begin with, but I was confused for a lot of it and the footnotes were a mess. I do feel like I have some general background knowledge on Hurston now, but this book overall was just sloppy.
July 27, 2021
TOTALLY Biased opinion. This is my literary version of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I mean if you take 2 of my favorite things and combine them, it's impossible for me to not like this. History and comics, yes please. I watched a How to create comics by Peter Bagge and The Harlem Renaissance is one of my favorite periods in American history. But Bagge manages to set the bar and offer some laughs while sharing a poignant look at American history. I'm only peeved that it took me so long to read. I hope he does Truman Capote!
March 25, 2017
Another hit for Bagge. This is a nice companion to his Woman Rebel from a few years ago, and its style is similar: episodic, almost snapshot-like glimpses into his subject's life, where each page is a self-contained "photo." I would guess that this book on Hurston, a much-read author in schools and colleges, will be a bigger hit than the earlier Sanger book.
September 20, 2017
The best way to get to know an author is to discover their voices in books. Sure,you can see a movie based on their novels, but reading the books themselves gets you the closest.
But, if you have not read anything by Zora Neale Hurston, don't feel you can't get to know just a little bit about her by readin this graphic novel about her life and times. This is mostly a quick run-down of the highlights of her life, to be sure, but if you find that you want to delve in more, this has given you a taste of where she is coming from.
And the cool thing, is this graphic novel can be read two ways. One way is to just read it right through. It is, after all only 72 pages long. The second way is to read the comments section at the back that explains every page you have just read, and how the author came to write it. Quite fascinating stuff.
Zora was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She was part of the group of people that went around the country collectin folk songs, and folk tales with the Lomaxes, and other WPA workers. She wandered all around, and the author tried to fill in the times when she didn't say what she was up to.
Quite enjoyable, well researched, and although I read Their Eyes were Watching God, it was a long time ago, and now I'm thinking I should read it again.
Highly recommended.
But, if you have not read anything by Zora Neale Hurston, don't feel you can't get to know just a little bit about her by readin this graphic novel about her life and times. This is mostly a quick run-down of the highlights of her life, to be sure, but if you find that you want to delve in more, this has given you a taste of where she is coming from.
And the cool thing, is this graphic novel can be read two ways. One way is to just read it right through. It is, after all only 72 pages long. The second way is to read the comments section at the back that explains every page you have just read, and how the author came to write it. Quite fascinating stuff.
Zora was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She was part of the group of people that went around the country collectin folk songs, and folk tales with the Lomaxes, and other WPA workers. She wandered all around, and the author tried to fill in the times when she didn't say what she was up to.
Quite enjoyable, well researched, and although I read Their Eyes were Watching God, it was a long time ago, and now I'm thinking I should read it again.
Highly recommended.
March 20, 2018
The style of cartooning seemed a bit weird, although traditional to me. It did however serve well in evoking an accurate mood for incidents and events in the book.
The book was informative and included a large section of photos and historical information about people in the back.
The book was informative and included a large section of photos and historical information about people in the back.
October 16, 2017
Peter Bagge has been a staff writer and cartoonist for Reason magaine since 2003. As a libertarian, he was no doubt drawn to Zora Neale Hurston's independent social and political views that refused to mesh with those of her intellectual friends, both black and white. She made controversial statements about race, segregation, language (she was criticized for using dialects in her writing), and politics. Bagge brings to life Hurston's significant and pivotal moments from childhood to death, including her family (not poor, although publishers sometimes presented her that way), an evil stepmother, her professors (one was Franz Boas), lovers and several husbands, mentors and supporters, and folklore and W.P.A. colleagues like Alan Lomax, Katherine Dunham, and Stetson Kennedy. I read somewhere that Bagge was influenced by the kinetic movement of early Disney cartoons like Steamboat Willy. I can't find this reference now, so you will have to take my word for it! He also collaborated with R. Crumb, and both influences are perceptible in his work, but transformed by Bagge's acid bright color and the personalities that shine through his character drawings. Eyeballs pop, spaghetti arms and legs fly everywhere, and screams reveal teeth, tongues, and tonsils. On the other hand, the subtlety of a Bagge sneer can impart just as much emotion a tantrum. Hurston is usually in white or bright yellow, as seen on the cover, which depicts a folklore-collecting adventure for which she bought a new car, pistol, and holster with her grant money. The loveliest illustration of her, in my opinion, is the back cover. This drawing was based on the only known color photographic portrait of Hurston, taken by photographer Carl Van Vechten, with Huston wearing something Van Vechten described as a "traditional Norwegian skiing outfit." Bagge notes that Hurston was adventurous dresser!
Reading the graphic-novel biography took only a few days. I spent far more time reading through the 26 pages of Bagge's *tiny* notes that flesh out the comic episodes with archival photographs, stories, and even some gossip. The notes are permeated with a joyful, breezy style with lots of exclamation points, italics, and caps, calling Langston Hughes a "doofus" and including tidbits that did not make it into the body of the book, such as Hurston's creation (with a white friend) of a black "Sara Lee" baby doll that was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt and ultimately manufactured by Ideal Toy Company. Bagge's commentary made me want to read the Hurston works that I have missed (of which there are too many) and talk with Bagge about them over a beer.
There has been some criticism of Bagge because he is a white man taking a biography of a black woman and/or that he is employing some kind of revisionism to make Hurston seem less of a feminist or her politics more ambiguous. I didn't know Hurston and have not done any kind of extensive research on her, but it seems to me that Bagge was inspired by her complex ambiguities rather than selecting a black, feminist icon and saying, "let's see if I can make a Libertarian out of her!" Nah. I don't think he would do that. I think he loves Hurston too much to mess with her story.
Reading the graphic-novel biography took only a few days. I spent far more time reading through the 26 pages of Bagge's *tiny* notes that flesh out the comic episodes with archival photographs, stories, and even some gossip. The notes are permeated with a joyful, breezy style with lots of exclamation points, italics, and caps, calling Langston Hughes a "doofus" and including tidbits that did not make it into the body of the book, such as Hurston's creation (with a white friend) of a black "Sara Lee" baby doll that was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt and ultimately manufactured by Ideal Toy Company. Bagge's commentary made me want to read the Hurston works that I have missed (of which there are too many) and talk with Bagge about them over a beer.
There has been some criticism of Bagge because he is a white man taking a biography of a black woman and/or that he is employing some kind of revisionism to make Hurston seem less of a feminist or her politics more ambiguous. I didn't know Hurston and have not done any kind of extensive research on her, but it seems to me that Bagge was inspired by her complex ambiguities rather than selecting a black, feminist icon and saying, "let's see if I can make a Libertarian out of her!" Nah. I don't think he would do that. I think he loves Hurston too much to mess with her story.
May 3, 2017
Huge fan of Peter Bagge. He's one of the funniest, smartest cartoonists out there, and his thoroughly researched, recent non-fiction work has been a prime example of this.
FIRE!! is a quick read, but it's cuz Bagge is in control, and well aware of the content he's offering up. The comic portion allows the important "plot points" and jokes to land without getting tedious or dense. Each page is pretty much devoted to a moment in Hurston's story, and this format works. And for those wanting more, there's the subsequent notes section, which is worth reading anyway (it's not there for filler).
Great stuff, as always, from a true comics master.
FIRE!! is a quick read, but it's cuz Bagge is in control, and well aware of the content he's offering up. The comic portion allows the important "plot points" and jokes to land without getting tedious or dense. Each page is pretty much devoted to a moment in Hurston's story, and this format works. And for those wanting more, there's the subsequent notes section, which is worth reading anyway (it's not there for filler).
Great stuff, as always, from a true comics master.
January 30, 2018
ZNH is a fascinating and inspiring woman. After reading this comic, I really want to read what she's written.
That's the best I can say about this comic.
It's disjointed, skipping ahead in time page after page without any narrative explanation. It brings up a topic and then never returns to it. Like when Hurston got married, and her husband is NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. The back of the book does have extensive notes, but surely some of that could have been incorporated into the comic itself.
I could seeing giving this to high schoolers to read alongside Their Eyes Were Watching God, something easy to pique their interest.
That's the best I can say about this comic.
It's disjointed, skipping ahead in time page after page without any narrative explanation. It brings up a topic and then never returns to it. Like when Hurston got married, and her husband is NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. The back of the book does have extensive notes, but surely some of that could have been incorporated into the comic itself.
I could seeing giving this to high schoolers to read alongside Their Eyes Were Watching God, something easy to pique their interest.
February 14, 2020
No. If you want Zora Neale Hurston, for the love of the gods don't look here. One star for the research in the very back , after the comic.
February 5, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable comic book bio of Zora would be a great intro for teens and curious adults. True fans will particularly enjoy the extensive back matter -- Bagge is such a true Zora stan that he refers to her frenemy Langston Hughes as a 'doofus'.
February 9, 2018
Fascinating story of a larger than life literary figure from the early twentieth century, perfectly represented by Bagge's uber-expressive drawing style. Great cameos by such figures as Carl Van Vechten, great friend to Gertrude Stein as well, and Langston Hughes. Warning: contains disturbing voodoo weirdness and lots of racial conflict. Overall: amazing story about an amazing woman.
October 2, 2023
I had for way longer than it took to read, so I feel a bit the fool for taking that much time. Read the intro, read the comic aspect, then I sort of reread the book using the notes at the back. Hurston was just plain fascinating.
September 12, 2020
I’m looking forward to read Zora Neale Hurston’s work!
June 24, 2022
Didn’t love the art, the story was disjointed, more like snapshots of a life. But what a life! Definitely fascinating and I can’t wait to read more about her, starting with her autobiography.
March 12, 2018
Lamentablemente no me sedujo el personaje.
February 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot of new facts about Zora Neale Hurston.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews