Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance

by Zora Neale Hurston

From “one of the greatest writers of our time” (Toni Morrison)—the author of Barracoon and Their Eyes Were Watching God—a collection of remarkable stories, including eight “lost” Harlem Renaissance tales now available to a wide audience for the first time.

In 1925, Barnard student Zora Neale Hurston—the sole black student at the college—was living in New York, “desperately striving for a toe-hold on the world.” During this period, she began writing short works that captured the zeitgeist of African American life and transformed her into one of the central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Nearly a century later, this singular talent is recognized as one of the most influential and revered American artists of the modern period.

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an outstanding collection of stories about love and migration, gender and class, racism and sexism that proudly reflect African American folk culture. Brought together for the first time in one volume, they include eight of Hurston’s “lost” Harlem stories, which were found in forgotten periodicals and archives. These stories challenge conceptions of Hurston as an author of rural fiction and include gems that flash with her biting, satiric humor, as well as more serious tales reflective of the cultural currents of Hurston’s world. All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writer’s voice and her contributions to America’s literary traditions.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, African American, Race

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2020

About the author

Novels, including Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), and nonfiction writings of American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston give detailed accounts of African American life in the South.

In 1925, Hurston, one of the leaders of the literary renaissance, happening in Harlem, produced the short-lived literary magazine Fire!! alongside Langston Hughes and Wallace Thurman shortly before she entered Barnard College. This literary movement developed into the Harlem renaissance.

Hurston applied her Barnard ethnographic training to document African American folklore in her critically acclaimed book Mules and Men alongside fiction Their Eyes Were Watching God . She also assembled a folk-based performance dance group that recreated her Southern tableau with one performance on Broadway.

People awarded a Guggenheim fellowship to Hurston to travel to Haiti and conduct research on conjure in 1937. Her significant work ably broke into the secret societies and exposed their use of drugs to create the Vodun trance, also a subject of study for fellow dancer-anthropologist Katherine Dunham, then at the University of Chicago.

In 1954, the Pittsburgh Courier assigned Hurston, unable to sell her fiction, to cover the small-town murder trial of Ruby McCollum, the prosperous black wife of the local lottery racketeer, who had killed a racist white doctor. Hurston also contributed to Woman in the Suwanee County Jail , a book by journalist and civil rights advocate William Bradford Huie.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

my becoming-a-genius project, part 28!

the background:
i have decided to become a genius.

to accomplish this, i'm going to work my way through the collected stories of various authors, reading + reviewing 1 story every day until i get bored / lose every single follower / am struck down by a vengeful deity.

we're approaching the third anniversary of my commencement of this project and also i have not undertaken an installment of it in several months, so this is an exciting event.

let's get into it.

view project parts 1-27 here


DAY 1: JOHN REDDING GOES TO SEA
this had the unique unbelievably depressing / know-it-all combo of an old-timey fairytale. i for one think unrelated tragedy cannot be blamed on some guy's wife being like "if you wanted to leave and travel everywhere solo style you probably shouldn't have married me."
rating: 2.5


DAY 2: THE CONVERSION OF SAM
eek. another very moral and didactic one.

which i guess i should have guessed from the title.
rating: 2.5


DAY 3: A BIT OF OUR HARLEM
feeling: hopeful. this story is all of 2 pages long and it seems like there's no way there'll be time to preach a lesson at all.

never mind. it managed.
rating: 3


DAY 4: DRENCHED IN LIGHT
this one was...interesting.

i love a free-spirited lowkey annoying kid as much as the next person but i don't know about the happily ever after being a potential adoption from a significantly more annoying white family.
rating: 3


DAY 5: SPUNK
if we have to get all Big Lesson, this is the way to do it. i'll take murderous ghosts and vengeance and gossip any day.
rating: 3.5


DAY 6: MAGNOLIA FLOWER
i have to say this is just not the collection i expected after their eyes were watching god at all.

this one is giving disney princess.
rating: 3


DAY 7: BLACK DEATH
now THIS is what i'm talking about. if we're going to cast aspersions on those who sin, at least give me some sort of dark magic sorcerer to do the punishing!
rating: 3.5


DAY 8: THE BONE OF CONTENTION
this one was amusing. i will give it that.
rating: 3.5


DAY 9: MUTTSY
well this one was just depressing. the conversion of sam without the conversion part.
rating: 2.5


DAY 10: SWEAT
this story contains the insult "she don't look like a thing but a hunk of liver with hair on it," and therefore i stand with it in support for all my days.

it's also a very well-deserved act of Womanly Vengeance, so that helps.
rating: 3.5


DAY 11: UNDER THE BRIDGE
the lesson of this story is that if you marry a much younger woman your hot son gets to fall in love with her and you can't even get that mad.
rating: 3


DAY 12: POSSUM OR PIG?
not a question i've had occasion to ask very often.

call me crazy, but i am not loving these stories with strange morals involving slaves "wronging" white people. stealing a pig seems pretty low on the crime scale when compared with enslavement.
rating: 2.5


DAY 13: THE EATONVILLE ANTHOLOGY
this was the florida equivalent of olive kitteredge. just a bunch of sad people living unhappy lives in a small town. enjoy.
rating: 3


DAY 14: THE BOOK OF HARLEM
a lot of these stories have been biblical in a variety of ways.

this one chose "language and format."
rating: 3


DAY 15: THE BOOK OF HARLEM
oh good. it's almost exactly the same as yesterday. down to the title.
rating: 2.5


DAY 16: THE BACK ROOM
fun little dorian gray situation here. if dorian gray could be told in 10 pages or less.
rating: 3


DAY 17: MONKEY JUNK
we're having fun with biblical formatting again.
rating: 3


DAY 18: THE COUNTRY IN THE WOMAN
i do think that the appropriate response to seeing your husband on his fourth side piece is to slow-walk toward them with an axe like a horror movie serial killer.

the punishment fits the crime.
rating: 3.5


DAY 19: THE GILDED SIX-BITS
another moral. gosh these are depressing.
rating: 3


DAY 20: SHE-ROCK
biblical formatting alert.

this contains a truly astonishing phrase (a beverage called "coon-dick") which i was so titillated by i immediately had to google and the only results i received were about raccoon penises. so now i feel like i got pranked by zora neale hurston on a decades-long delay.
rating: 2.5


DAY 21: THE FIRE AND THE CLOUD
i have to say, i thought a story about a talking lizard would have a little more going on.
rating: 2.5


OVERALL
i was really excited to read this collection, but unfortunately not many of these felt like they came from the author of their eyes were watching god, a book i loved. these stories had sparkling moments of brilliance and ones i truly enjoyed and some that just weren't my cup of tea. it was a lot more moralistic than i expected.

it's neither a good nor bad book for me, and therefore in the exact middle it goes.
rating: 2.5

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.
A number of years ago I saw the movie adaption of Their Eyes Were Watching God starring Halle Berry. I remember feeling so gutted, so moved . I read the book and felt the same way. I should have read more by Zora Neale Hurston, but I never did. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to read this collection of her stories and I’m inspired to get to her other books. There’s quite a bit of explanation and literary criticism in the introduction, and while it seemed interesting and informative about what I was going to read, I just wanted to get to the stories and see what my reaction was. So I stopped reading the introduction and went directly to the stories. I did go back later to see what the reflections on some of the stories were . These observations were interesting in the context of Hurston’s body of work, and I got a better understanding of them, but I’m glad that I read them after I finished a story rather than going in with preconceived ideas.

The collection represents her early writing, mostly written in the 1920’s, some published here for the first time, in chronological order of when they were written. There are some wonderful characters reflecting African Americans of the times, memorable characters in Harlem, in Eatonville, Florida. The writing in places is beautiful.

“Spring time in Florida is not a matter of peeping violets or bursting buds merely. It is a riot of color, in nature —glistening green leaves, pink, blue, purple, yellow blossoms that fairly stagger the visitors from the north. The mikes of hyacinths are like an undulating carpet on the surface of the river...The nights are white nights as the moon shines with dazzling splendor...”(“John Redding Goes to Sea”

“Iris had crawled under the center table with its red plush cover with little round balls for fringe. She was lying on her back imagining herself various personages. She wore trailing robes, golden slippers with blue bottoms. She rode white horses with flaring pink nostrils to the horizon, for she still believed that to be land’s end.”

As it frequently is for me when I read short story collections, I didn’t love all of them. However, several of the twenty one stories stood out . “John Redding Goes to Sea” depicting women vs men, the desire to roam and explore other places was heartbreaking. “The Conversation of Sam” also focuses on men and women, but on class and race differences as well. I found “A Bit of Harlem”, which is a very short one to be moving, filled with empathy and kindness and hope and is one of my favorites. “Drenched in Light” has the rambunctious and full of life little Iris, my favorite character in all of the stories. “Magnolia Flower”, a story within a story told by the river to the brook, is a love story with a deeper theme of racism. “The Eatonville Anthology” is comprised of short vignettes telling so much about a cast of characters portraying town life in this all black community where Their Eyes Were Watching God takes place. I found the stories to be moving, enlightening and funny at times. I don’t pretend to fully understand all of the over twenty stories, but I think that anyone who has loved Hurston’s other works will appreciate how her writing began and get an understanding of her place in African American literature.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Amistad through Edelweis.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first taste of Zora Neale Hurston's writings, an anthology of short stories, eight of which are included for the first time, early works written when the author was the sole black student of Barnard College in New York, destined to become a influential and major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. As is often my experience of short stories, they are a mixed bag, some so very slight and others of more substance. There is an introduction by Genevieve West and foreward by Tayari Jones, both fascinating and informative on Hurston, her development and experimentation, and the stories that managed to get to the heart of the African American culture, life and community, although some elements of the black community were more hostile to them. Some might find the use of the vernacular in this collection a challenge, although there is advice that the stories benefit from being read out aloud.

The anthology is of its time and place, set in Harlem and Eatonville, Florida, touching on race, love, class, gender, sexism, folklore and identity. Relationships between men and women are explored, including adultery in marriage and infidelity, an unusual vengeance, family complications when a much older man marries a much younger woman, controlling men, drawing on the parable nature of biblical stories, and a woman whose past catches up with her. My favourite stories include Under the Bridge, Drenched in Light, The Guilded Six-Bits and The Country in the Woman. There are characters that are strong, vibrant and memorable like the unforgettable, adorable, full of life girl in Drenched in Light. This is an imaginative, compassionate, entertaining, humorous and satiric set of short stories, thought provoking and challenging, that are so worth reading. Many thanks to HQ for an ARC.

[Anne Bogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible, improbable book: though Hurston died in 1960, this short fiction collection includes pieces contemporary readers have never seen before, because they were published in periodicals and journals that have long been forgotten.

There are 21 pieces in all, presented in chronological order, written between 1921 and 1937. (As a reference point, Their Eyes Were Watching God was published in 1937.)

I listened to the audiobook version, which I highly recommend. But no matter which format you choose, don't miss the excellent foreword by Tayari Jones and introduction by editor Genevieve West.

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story collection cannot be complete without Zora Neale Hurston's Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick. While many of her stories are masterpieces, they are not all equally accessible to all readers. For example, I frequently have difficulty reading dialects.

For further information, please see the reviews by Andre and Maya (Sup3rN0va).

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ Thou can not snore in my ear no more.” I needed a laugh today and that sentence supplied it. This book was also what I needed. A new collection of short works by this author is a wonderful gift for everyone. The stories are poignant and funny. A husband uses a snake to threaten his wife, but things don’t turn out as he hopes. Flaunting a mistress doesn’t end well. A young man achieves his desire to roam. There is a painful love triangle. A couple deals with the wife’s infidelity. I didn’t love every story, but I love that this book exists. 4.5 stars

[Elyse Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book for me to rate. The introduction was great and helpful for me personally because this is the first book I’ve read by Zora —-but it was also long— I was getting anxious to get to the stories themselves.

From my understanding some of the stories are new but some of them have been published other places before?

I actually feel inadequate —-in comprehending the magnitude of what this book is.

...At times I was very interested— and much of the themes around being black, race, poverty, injustice, felt familiar. Nothing new - but maybe Zora was the Queen Contributor of waking others up?/! Wonderful!!!! I’m thankful for that!!! Sincerely!

...Other times I had to force myself to keep reading—
.... I felt as though I was pulling at strings to pull out the diamonds in the rough.

This was a book I wanted to like more than I did.... but I appreciate it. I understand there’s a movie and other books that might be more helpful.

The things that stood out for me
most come down to this:
BLACK PROPLE ARE WORTHY OF THEIR STORIES.....
Even vital for the rest of us’

WHITE PEOPLE AND THEIR TRADITIONS DO VERY LITTLE TO HELP END RACIAL TENSIONS

AND...... Zora said ( something like this - don’t quote me Word for Word).... AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE PHYSICALLY FREE— but NOT SPIRITUALLY FREE!
Heartbreaking!

I was especially looking for parts where I would laugh because I understand Zora has a wicked-wonderful sense of humor. But the humor was lost on me and it’s nobody’s fault but my own.

I was a little loss - I tried - and that’s how the story goes!

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most story collections this is a mixed bag. At its best we see Hurston's ability to bring a whole world to life via a miniature: there's real emotion here, whether the love and regret of a father burying his son, or the sassy rebelliousness of a young girl against her strict grandmother.

Many of the stories depict love situations: jealousy, violence, adultery, betrayal fill these stories, frequently with a kind of Greek chorus as neighbours in Eatonville watch and comment on what's happening. And there's huge vitality in the vernacular dialogue that brings us close to the characters, understanding them not just through what they say but how they say it in language that is spirited and energetic. Hurston embraces a culture that takes 'conjure' and hoodoo for granted, giving a spiritual, mystical aura to some of these tales.

Some of the later pieces are more experimental in form: some duplicate biblical verses, others are character sketches that build up into a portrait of place. There are fewer set in Harlem than I expected, most are placed in Eatonville, Florida, like the brilliant and iconic 'Sweat'.

Overall, Hurston is such a natural writer: there's a sense of authenticity here and her characters feel alive in a way that is surprisingly rare in literature. Big hearted and executed with invisible skill, these stories live off the page.

[Never Without a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6nO04hg2...

I had the pleasure of reading Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick, earlier this week and it was so good. Tayari Jones’s Forward is fire! Her introduction to who Hurston was and why her works are so popular, really hyped up my interest. I’m going to recommend when you read this book, to take your time. Hurston is known for using the dialect of that time and it can throw you off if you’re not paying attention. Overall this was a 4/5 star read for me. ⁣

[Maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 stars]

"As we have seen, using her 'crooked stick' Hurston strikes at the intraracial politics of complexion, called colorism or shadeism, which exists in dialogue with whiteness and the belief that lighter is somehow better. Likewise, her fiction resists New Negro attempts to rehabilitate the image of blacks in the eyes of the whites by shunning folk culture as backward, ignorant, or undesirable." -From an introduction by Genevieve West

When I first read Hurston seminal novel Their Eyes Were Watching God almost 8 (!!) years ago in college, I was blown away. It's stuck with me to this day as one of the best novels I've ever read. Little did I know how influential and formative her earlier work was, including her short fiction. This collection of stories, many of which have never been put into print since their original publication in black periodicals and newspapers during Hurston's life, is a testament to her power in shaping the pathways of black 2oth century writers.

So much of what we read and see today is clearly a nod to Hurston and her wit, attention to detail, critical eye and sharp writing. These stories are no exception to that rule. However, as with any collection of stories, especially one that is put together posthumously from discovered material, there is less cohesion in this work. They span many years of her career, so the writing style changes from story to story.

And while I enjoyed quite a few of them, there were many that I found underdeveloped or jarring in contrast to what comes before or after. That is the nature of this collection because all 21 stories were not written with the intention of being published together. For that reason, I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking this up. I think there are some phenomenal stories in this collection and Hurston is clearly one of the best American writers ever. I don't think this collection as a whole necessarily highlights that but there are moments, glimmers of her writing that outshine the other more perplexing choices.

I am smacking myself for not picking up more Hurston earlier. Their Eyes is still the only novel of hers I've read, and after reading so many of her short stories, I'm eager to pick up more of her work soon.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hitting A Straight Lick ....
The first thing about this collection you notice is the introduction! Which is absolutely fantastic. It should be studied for proper “introduction writing” for it beautifully sets the foundation of this story collection. And the foreword by Tayari Jones is just as great as the introduction.

In fact Tayari Jones suggestion, “I recommend reading this work aloud, enjoying the feel of the words in your mouth, and the sound of English tightened and strummed like the strings of a banjo.” You’ll understand why that advice is necessary and important as you delve into these stories with dialogue often written “in idiom—often described as dialect” the reading out loud does bring a certain delight to the printed words and helps transport you to the place and time. Genevieve West is so judicious in her introduction, I couldn’t wait to get to the stories!

And some of these stories will have you laughing out loud as it is easy to ascertain that Zora had a great sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to let it shine. That along with her decision to use idiom also reveals the courage she had as a writer. “Hurston resisted the pressure to conform and presented her characters in their full, complex, and contradictory humanity.”

I enjoyed the mock biblical stories for their unconventional constructions and my favorite story was UNDER THE BRIDGE, a sad but tender tale of love between Father, Wife and Son. There is so much to enjoy here and I can honestly say there weren’t any duds. That is a rarity in story collections but a pleasant verity in this collection. So, big thanks to Amistad for gifting me this book. Book is out and available now. Get it, the foreword and introduction alone are worth the price you’ll pay!

[Will]

Hitting a straight lick with a crooked stick: making a way out of noway (West, Asim)

This collection of Zora Neale Hurston’s Harlem Renaissance short fiction, includes eight ‘lost’ stories, an important addition to her oeuvre and to American literature. Presented in the order written, the reader can see the growth, change and experimentation in Hurston’s writing. This does not, however, imply that the early stories are without merit. They are as rich in story, folklore, and skillful use of idiom as Hurston's later work.

With an excellent introduction by Genevieve West this collection is a ‘gift’ to those interested in the author and that period in African American literature.

I may return with a rating later (or not).

[The Artisan Geek]

14/1/20
A thank you to Amistad for gifting me a copy of this book.

You can find me on
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[LiteraryMarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zora Neale Hurston made a name for herself in the 1920s. She was the only black student at Barnard College. During this time, she wrote short stories to capture African American culture. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is a collection of eight (8) stories found in the archives. Themes include love, independence, migration, racism and social class.

Bookhearts, this review is difficult. How do you rate a new release by a deceased legendary author? A writer of remarkable classics. One of the greats! How do you rate a new book filled with all the elements of a Harlem Renaissance novel but is not easy to follow?

There are a couple stories that touched the literary side of my heart. Other stories that were just okay. However, I struggled through the entire collection because of the dialogue. It totally threw me off. I understand the language is indicative of how people spoke during this time, but it was so hard to keep up with. I spent more time trying to decipher a sentence than enjoying the story itself. This definitely took the pleasure out of my reading experience.

The cover is a work of colorful art though. So eye-catching! And I found the title fitting once I finally completed the short story collection. Is this enough reason to read a book? Well, it is your choice. Go ahead and pre-order. Or wait to read other reviews. Then decide if this collection of short stories from the Harlem Renaissance tickles your fancy.

Happy Early Pub Day to the late Zora Neale Hurston! Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick will be available Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

LiteraryMarie

[chantel nouseforaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is magic in being able to capture the essence of your people. Every single word that Ms. Zora has put to paper, that I've engaged with thus far, has held me in the center of its hand.

This was impeccable. Each story was better than the one before it. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick illustrated nuances re: African American life. It's crazy how some adult relationships have yet to evolve on a base level past some of the experiences of the women and men in these stories written in the 20s/30s. I love how Ms. Zora created these women in her stories who were not committed to ill-treatment and docility. They all made their break for it, where necessary. They stood what they could stand, and withstood some shit they shouldn't have had to withstand, and where necessary they went their own way unless their men could clean up their act. Every one of them. It's never easy, but she always sets most of the women characters on a path towards justice by any means necessary; whether those means be watching a man die by his own foolishness, or employing the conjure man, etc. Zora writes women striving for what's hers, even if they have to go through the hills and gully to get there.

I loved the audio because the narrator was talented. Aunjanue Ellis is gifted with the patois, and colloquial language of the time. It was a delightful listen.

Favourite stories include: The Conversion of Sam, Black Death, Muttsy & Sweat (!!!)

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius.

Zora Neale Hurston is a literary genius. How is it more people are not screaming from the rooftops about her work? I have to change this!

This collection of short stories was nothing short of amazing. Each story had its own ability to reach in and touch your soul and evoke different emotions and feelings: heartwarming, sadness, hope, acceptance, revenge, redemption, forgiveness, etc. There are about 4 stories that I didn't connect with or weren't that interested in, but the rest were phenomenal. The prose is gorgeous and authentic. I felt so connected with these characters, some are very beloved to me now. I am so happy to have this in physical format so I can pick it up and reread these stories whenever I like!

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who know me know I feel Zora Neale Hurston is the OG of storytelling and one of the very best to ever do it.
This collection of short stories only strengthens my argument.

Ms. Hurston was a writer of the people! These stories were written over 60 years ago, but still resonate so loudly today. I love it!!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved Their Eyes Were Watching God ever since being introduced to it in high school. The emotional descriptions, atmosphere, and cultural language in Hurston's writing take me to a different time and place. It's good for me to read things like this periodically to open windows beyond my regular reading. I love reading the vernacular black language of the time that she tries to put into print. I saw some reviews complaining about it, but it is a large part of what makes Hurston's writing interesting and helps reveal character and setting powerfully without exposition.

The editor's note and foreword were informative. I don't know much about Zora Neale Hurston. The introduction is good too (Yes, there are three different preambles to the stories), teaching me about Hurston's life and influences, but it's 30 pages long, so I got impatient and jumped ahead to the first story part way through. Later: I went back and read the second half after finishing the stories, which I liked better for two reasons. The editor summarizes most of the stories and comments on them. So I was happy to not read plot and character before reading each story. The editor also comments on how the stories show Hurston's grappling with issues of race, gender, and class. I agreed with parts of her commentary and didn't with others. I preferred thinking about those views uninfluenced first. So I recommend to my one or two Goodreads friends who might read this to save the second half of the intro until the end as well.

I'll write short reviews of each story. Thematic spoilers and sometimes more, much worse plot spoilers than the intro. This is for me more than anything.

John Redding Goes to Sea -- Simple, moving, sad. It transports us to the minds of people raised so differently in such different circumstances than me. I had a relative experience some very similar things pertaining to the central conflict of purported duty to family vs. the desire for personal exploration and growth. I found it fairly predictable at first blush, but I ended up really liking this story because the conflict, though involving men and women, was different than the majority of the other stories.

The Conversion of Sam - Really interesting in the social conventions of crabs pulling the others back into the bucket. Her perspective of how the white boss talks and acts toward Sam who is trying to better himself is interesting. No doubt it's accurate to the times, but it's jarring how working hard and not drinking and gambling are accepted as "white" behaviors.

A Bit of Our Harlem -- 2 pages. A sophisticated girl sympathizes with a hunchbacked boy selling candy.

Drenched in Light -- I really liked the fun little girl who was both a tomboy and loved dancing. She is sassy and funny about her very controlling grandmother. The scene where she talks her brother into helping her try to shave the long hairs form the chin of their sleeping grandmother is one of the best in the collection. I just didn't get the point of the part where the white couple takes her with them to amuse other white people. The man is snidely racist to both the girl and her grandmother. The woman thinks she is precious in a nice, but kind of "precious innocent l'il ragamuffin" kind of way. The final paragraph seemed like it was supposed to be meaningful, but it was just unexplained. It shifted the focus from the great character developed in the little girl to an unintelligible internal conflict of the barely developed white lady.

Spunk -- This story starts the main framing device for most of the stories. Spouses cheating on each other. In this one, the townspeople tell the story of others through gossip. This little mousy man is too scared to confront the big strong guy brazenly cheating with his a beautiful wife. He gets shot when he finally does confront him. The strong guy thinks that the mild guy is coming back and haunting him and then finally causes his death. The townspeople enjoy the spectacle and start speculating about the widow's next man at the funeral. I enjoyed it...and it starts the huge amount of cynicism about marriage, love, and culture which permeate the stories.

Magnolia Flower -- The river tells the story. An escaped slave becomes a tyrant of his own after the war in a backwater town. He wants to kill his daughter and her boyfriend who slept together, but karma gets him.

Black Death -- Voodoo revenge on a city boy who sleeps with a country girl but won't marry her after promising the moon.

The Bone of Contention -- Funny story about the "court case" of one man assaulting another with the leg bone of a mule. The Methodists and Baptists get personal and use amusing logic for their contentions.

Muttsy -- It's like the Conversion of Sam except it seems the repentant guy cleaned up for his beautiful country wife isn't repentant.

Sweat -- Sad story. A husband is cheating on his wife constantly and beats her. The men and women in these stories all take husbands beating their wives as a fact of life and only seem to lament if it's "too much." He tries to intimidate and then kill his wife with a pet rattlesnake. Karma reigns. I don't quite get the end though. It seems the woman feels guilty somehow with the eye thing, but I don't get why.

Under the Bridge -- Sad, but sweet. A 58-yr-old marries a 19-yr-old after 20 years of being a widower. His 22-yr-old son and this new wife love him deeply, but they also fall in love. It's only emotional infidelity, but when it comes out in the open, the story leaves off with a question of what they would do in such a difficult situation.

'Possum or Pig? -- 2 pages where a slave is trying to not get punished for stealing and cooking a master's pig to have a decent meal. The intro says the ending shows his wit, but it seems to me like he's going to get killed.

The Eatonville Anthology -- Funny, sad excerpt-style tales of life in Eatonville. Infidelity again a theme.

Book of Harlem -- Funny faux-scripture style story of a country boy learning how to be a womanizer in Harlem. It's a clever mix of some allusions to the prodigal son mixed with Vanity Fair. The message is again sad and cynical of the prevailing culture. The language is awesome. "...for verily she is a mighty biscuit cooker before the Lord." ..."and the Vaseline upon his head, yea verily the slickness thereof did outshine the sun at noonday."

The Book of Harlem -- Same as the last story, but shorter. "Seek not a swell sheba in mail-order britches. Go to, get thyself Oxford bags of exceeding bagginess, and procure thyself much haberdashery. Moreover, seek out the shop of hair cutting...and see that thy hair is of such slickness that thou dare not hurl thyself into the bed lest thou wear weed chains, for verily thou shall skid out again. Then hie thee to the halls of dancing, even the tabernacles of jazz, and there learn to wiggle thy ankles, meanly. Moreover oil thy tongue with bananas (banana oil is mentioned frequently as a fancy city affectation), and gargle thy throat with flapdoodle so that verily a line shall proceed from thy mouth every time thou come into the presence of females. Then shall the damsels prize thee mightily and fawn upon thee, and shall say thou art as sharp as a tack."

The Back Room -- A beautiful 38-yr-old woman who has lived the high life in the city and rejected marriage until now is looking to settle down. Her past catches up with her and causes disappointment.

Monkey Junk -- More faux-scripture style. A cocky country guy gets married to a con artist in Harlem and then loses badly in divorce court.

The Country in the Woman -- A man who had been a cheater in whose wife got him back in "The Eatonville Anthology" is now in the city, trying to cheat in the bigger field. His understandably ornery wife embarrasses him and reins him in.

The Gilded Six-Bits -- This one was good and sad. This one has one of the few string and loving marriages from the stories. However, it then deals with infidelity with some extenuating circumstances, and then deals sweetly with forgiveness. On the side, it also has class envy and racist ignorance.

She-Rock -- Faux-scripture style, but basically same story as "The Country in the Woman" with different characters. Hurston's female characters are usually strong, but usually ridiculed on cheated on and/or beaten.

The Fire and the Cloud -- Interesting one that I didn't completely understand. After the 40-yr-sojourn , shortly before the people enter the promised land, Moses talks philosophically with a lizard about leadership and ingratitude. I thought he was a spirit at first, but the intro helped me understand that he fakes his death in this one to let Joshua take up the wearying mantle of leadership.

It was overall very good, and I'm glad I read it. I love the language. It's also sad. I don't have enough knowledge to know if Hurston's stark view of domineering, unfaithful men/husbands was as prevalent as she portrays or how much a product of her own experiences. She attended three colleges and lived a literary/academic life, unlike the characters in her stories.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a joint book review of Zora Neale Hurston’s collection of short stories in The Complete Stories (1995) and Hitting a Straight Lick with A Crooked Stick (2020). I recommend you read them together.

The 34 stories in these collections span across four decades (1921-1951) and show Zora’s depth, genius, and diversity as a writer. I read the short stories in chronological order by their publication year and then read the previously unpublished stories last. I especially love how Zora was able to experiment with the form in her stories. For example, Zora is mostly known for writing about Southern Blacks in her hometown of Eatonville, FL but she occasionally wrote short stories that took place in Biblical times (“Escape from Pharaoh” & “The Seventh Veil”) or would write a Harlem Renaissance story that was written like a book in the Bible (“Monkey Junk” & “She Rock”). She also wrote stories about romantic relationships, courtroom dramas, and of course my favorite, her stories of conjure and hoodoo. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sieglinde Lemke stated in the introduction to The Complete Stories that “morality is the issue in most of her stories, which usually end happily for the disenfranchised and powerless” (xxii).

Favorite Stories in the Two Collections
-John Redding Goes to Sea (1921)***
-The Conversion of Sam (ca 1922)**
-Black Death (ca 1920s)***
-The Bone of Contention (ca 1920s)***
-The Gilded Six-Bits (1933)***
-Mother Catherine (1934)*
-Uncle Monday (1934)*
-The Conscience of the Court (1950)*
-The Seventh Veil (previously unpublished)*
-The Woman in Gaul (previously unpublished)*

*In The Complete Stories only
**In Hitting A Straight Lick with A Crooked Stick only
***In both collections

This completes my challenge to read all of Zora Neale Hurston’s works that I had not previously read (aka The Zora Challenge), but it does not end my study of the amazing Zora Neale Hurston. I will continue to read more about her through her biographies by various writers (Robert Hemenway, Valerie Boyd, and others) and her other works including her plays.

[Hadrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 21 short stories - some published again for the first time in decades - from one of the brightest lights of the Harlem Renaissance.

The stories are presented in the order that they were published, so as you read them, you get a sense of Hurston's development, or how she is willing to experiment with new styles or settings. She doesn't write in regional dialect and then she does; she writes in Harlem before going to Eatonville, Florida again; she writes a Biblical style in "The Book of Harlem".

I admit I'd only read the author's anthropology before this - her book Barracoon. But in her stories, she doesn't hesitate from looking at the ugly and violent - certainly enough to shock the rising middle class that may have read her - and daring to find humor in all this. Of course, as anybody who uses humor to cope with these things knows, there is the risk of misinterpretation. At the end of an intense story about heartbreak and betrayal, a white character who has no idea what's going on says, 'Wisht I could be like those darkies. Laughin’ all the time. Nothin’ worries ’em.'

Still, it's an event when something new is published from an established author. Absolutely worth a look.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook performance was excellent. I could really differentiate the characters and their accents and speaking style. There were some memorable stories, especially the first one. I didn't like so much the stories that were written like Bible verses.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zora Neale Hurston was not a writer I was familiar with. I believe a movie was made based on one of her more popular books, Their Eyes Were Watching God, about fifteen years ago.

This collection of stories is truthfully like nothing I have ever read before. I am glad to have had the chance to read this distinctly African American work, so thoroughly researched and brought together in this volume.

Library Loan

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars? It's really hard to properly rate this. It was an interesting read from a historical or academic perspective. A lot of the change stylistically was interesting and it's interesting to see how it fits in with her longer works. I'm not sure that I would say that I enjoyed all of the short stories. A lot of them were very similar, so it felt repetitive (though, this is just all of her works -- it wasn't curated by her to be a collection, so I have considered that). There were some specific ones that were quite interesting and did enjoy, even if there were a lot that I felt more lukewarm about. I felt like there was a lot to unpack thematically in a lot of these. Some of them, I was able to follow the themes and what they meant, but some of them seemed to have mixed or surprising messages. I think I would perhaps have a different understanding were I doing a closer reading in a different context.

I did appreciate the introduction. The only real criticism I have of the additional information is that it may have been better if the information about each short story were at the beginning of each individual story, not all just at the beginning of the book as a whole. Since I listened on audiobook, I couldn't go back and forth to read about each story, which I think would have added to the experience.

Overall, I'm glad I read it. I could see myself potentially returning to this if I end up doing a deep-dive into classics later. I think I would appreciate it more in that context. I would definitely recommend it to people who have enjoyed her other work.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since belatedly reading Their Eyes Were Watching God I have been wanting to read more of Zora Neale Hurston. As with her novel, I struggled a bit catching the rhythm of the dialect in which she wrote about blacks in the 1920s & 30s. I took the advice of Tayari Jones, who provides a passionate forward to this collection and read sections aloud until I could feel the language - that helped a lot.

These stories are sharp and witty - filled with interesting characters and relationships. I didn't find the heart I felt in her longer novel, maybe just because I struggled with the language to really sink into the individual stories. But I certainly was transported in time and place.

[tortoise dreams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new collection of 21 Zora Neale Hurston stories, including eight previously uncollected.

Book Review: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is an unnecessarily long title (and it's not about golf), but may bring some attention to the eight recently recovered stories within, and the possibility that more undiscovered stories are out there. Zora Neale Hurston seems to be having a second revival (the first began with her rediscovery by Alice Walker in 1975) with the publication of Barracoon in 2018 and now this new edition of her stories. The previous collection of Hurston's short stories from HarperCollins, The Complete Stories (1995) edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., contained 26 works. This new selection has 21 stories, of which eight were previously uncollected, and so contains only half the stories from the 1995 edition. Hitting a Straight Lick contains a variety of stories showing Hurston's wide-ranging talent and versatility: "folklore" stories (she was an anthropologist and folklorist) including a visit from Brer Rabbit and Brer Dog; slice of rural life stories (usually instructional or moral); stories told in a Biblical tone; stories told in bullet points; and her indisputably classic short fiction such as "Sweat" and "The Gilded Six-Bits." Some of the stories seem to be drafts of other stories, some of the same phrases or incidents are repeated in several, and the final story in Hitting a Straight Lick, "The Fire and the Cloud," reads as an excerpt from her penultimate novel, the unique Moses, Man of the Mountain. Most of Hurston's stories were about rural blacks, including her hometown, the all-black community of Eatonville, Florida. Little of her work rails against white oppression or concedes that whites were an onerous factor in black life. Hurston's view was that white people were simply a fact of life like bad weather or bad luck. She believed that black culture need not follow white ways, that black people were not deprived or lesser humans, and that African Americans would be better off going their own way without depending on or grumbling about white people. The villains in her stories are usually other black people, often men. Her career was cut short by her uncompromising independence. One notable element here is how often Hurston writes dialogue in "the idiom -- not the dialect -- of" black people (as she put it). Although it can take a little time to get used to, she felt it provided realism and I believe it followed her training as a folklorist. She let the people speak for themselves. Use of the idiom also provides a stark contrast when the story turns to Hurston's own narration, beautifully and powerfully written. Although I'd prefer a revised "complete" edition of her stories incorporating the new works included in Hitting a Straight Lick, until that day arrives I'm happy to find any recovered fiction by Hurston because we have so little, just four novels, 34 stories. [3½★]

[Georgie Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reallllly wanted to love this but I don’t think short stories are for me. This is my first of Hurston’s that I’ve read, and some stories had me captivated. The descriptions were beautiful and I could picture it all perfectly. But some I found so dull. I found it hard to get into the storyline and characters because of how brief each story was. Hoping to read Hurston’s longer works later this year.

[Carly Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this outstanding collection of short stories. They were lush and unique and everything I expect from my favorite author. I also really appreciated the introduction at the beginning with all of the information about the stories.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book - Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick - is a catchy one. It's an old saying that means making a way out of no way. Whether set in Zora Neale Hurston's hometown of Eatonville, Florida or during the Harlem Renaissance, these stories and their characters strive to do just that.

In reading these stories it is evident that Zora Neale Hurston was ahead of her time. Written in the vernacular of her people, Hurston knew that she was taking a big risk. Many in her day misconstrued her stories as making minstrels out of country black folk. They did not recognize the subversive nature of her work. They did not understand how Zora was "stewing the subject in its own juice.". How her use of dialect and traditional folklore actually showcased the beauty of black life and culture. Through her stories Zora addressed identity politics, classism, racism and sexism. She did all of this with a sense of pride and humor.

In and of itself this is plenty good reason to pick up a copy of Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick. But I would like to add one more. Within this compilation we have the only published stories by Hurston that are centered on the Great Migration. My favorites were "Bone of Contention" and "The Country in the Woman"

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anything and everything Zora Neale Hurston and this collection with 8 not previously (recently) seen stories is a gem to add to my collection.

[Lekeisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this collection of short stories was a treat. Hurston's imagination knows no bounds. I have laughed my butt off at a few, and slowly reflected on the meaning of others. The Country in the Woman may be my favorite of this whole collection. Caroline Potts needs her own novel because I'm still thinking about her and that axe. I love that the dialogue is straight and true throughout, and the characters all seem very alive for it. Even the river tells a great story. In mostly all of these stories you will find an emboldened black woman taking the reins of her life back from a man. I love them all. Highly recommended!