Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance | 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 May 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.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
quote
charl08
post image

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.... The nights are white nights as the moon shines with dazzling splendor, or in the absence of that goddess, the soft darkness creeps down laden with innumerable scents. The heavy fragrance of magnolias mingled with the delicate sweetness of jasmine and wild roses.

review
steph_phanie
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ Rating this as a Pick mostly because I really appreciate Zora Neale Hurston's writing and because some of the stories, although painful, were truly gorgeous. However, I think this collection of stories would have been better read in many short sittings rather than in just a couple of days because they are largely unhappy.

The first story, John Redding Goes to Sea, remained my favorite throughout. Devastating but incredibly beautiful.

SamAnne I think this is the only Hurston I haven‘t read. Need to check it out! 2y
7 likes1 comment
blurb
steph_phanie
post image

Enjoying some after-work reading! 📚☕️

review
Paperback.Propensity
post image
Pickpick

I really liked these stories, particularly Eatonville Anthology. It inspired my own writing..
I liked the appearance of certain characters in different stories. Some of them had a folk tale quality about them which really transported me. I wish this were my own copy and not the library's.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty cover ❤️💙 3y
22 likes1 comment
review
tricours
Mehso-so

I won't call this a new favorite, but I enjoyed some of the stories. It got a little bit tiresome with all the useless men and gold digging women after a while though, and I think I would have appreciated the stories more if I had read it as a sort of annotated text, with cultural references and context explained.

blurb
Julsmarshall
post image

What a great reading list from @wellreadblackgirl !https://www.wellreadblackgirl.com/reading-list #shesaid

47 likes1 stack add
blurb
tricours
post image

So far quite interesting but seriously, what useless and horrible men! My current audiobook while working on my wool project

review
JoyBlue
post image
Pickpick

4-. I'm not, generally, a fan of short stories, so this rating is unusually high for me. I didn't like all of the stories equally. The writing, though. . . .

blurb
Melismatic
post image

This was so sweet of you @JoScho !!!! I really loved the whole #ReadBlackAuthors challenge — do you have any plans to make it a recurring thing? 🥰🤗

JoScho I haven‘t thought about it but that is a good idea. Thanks for joining in and enjoy the bookmark 🖤 4y
26 likes1 comment
review
Merchgal
post image
Pickpick
review
S3V3N
post image
Pickpick

Excellent! Each and every story was excellent. I even enjoyed the prologue, it gave information about Zora. One fact that stood out was that she never looked into the camera when she was photographed. I Googled her and it was true. I don‘t know with that stuck with me. Black Death and Possum or Pig? Were my 2 favorites. I enjoyed EVERY story.

JoScho 🖤🖤🖤 4y
S3V3N @JoScho I saw your post and checked Overdrive for it. There was a waitlist. I went to Hoopla and it was on there. I could stop listening to it. I was up at 3AM listening.🤦🏾‍♀️ 4y
JoScho Oh I love that you loved it and it was available on Hoopla! Thanks for sharing ☺️ 4y
23 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
JoScho
post image

Sharing books by black authors during the month of July. I will add the synopsis from Goodreads below and in the comments.
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. ⬇️
#ReadBlackAuthors #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #BeTheChange

JoScho 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. 4y
JoScho 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.
4y
JoScho 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. 4y
See All 6 Comments
JoScho All are timeless classics that enrich our understanding and appreciation of this exceptional writer‘s voice and her contributions to America‘s literary traditions. 4y
S3V3N I was able to download this today. The stories are great. I‘m almost done with it. 4y
JoScho @BeaG yay! 4y
75 likes3 stack adds6 comments
review
Emilymdxn
post image
Pickpick

I loved Zora Neale Hurston‘s book of short stories, I can‘t believe she wrote so few and it took so long for them to be published together. I appreciated the variety of lives she was interested in - she‘s definitely free from being accused of always writing about the same types of people! It‘s true I didn‘t love it as much as Their Eyes Were Watching God but then I don‘t love many books that much so it isn‘t a fair comparison.

BarbaraBB Great review ❤️ 4y
73 likes1 comment
quote
Emilymdxn
post image

Haha! Zora Neale Hurston knows we‘ve all met this guy am I right?

Suet624 😂😂 4y
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
LatrelWhite
post image

❤️ZoraNealeHurston anything... such gems in these short stories.🎧

LatrelWhite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I laughed and cried Thank you Zora✨ 4y
9 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Tamra
post image
Pickpick

Oh my, Zora‘s writing is amazing. I didn‘t enjoy all of the short stories, but many are beautifully lyrical and heartbreaking. The audio performance is incredible!

SamAnne I‘ve not read this one! 5y
Tamra @SamAnne do try it! 5y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
MsLeah8417
post image
Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟

blurb
triplem80
post image

Excited to read these "new" stories from Zora Neale Hurston!

2 likes1 stack add
blurb
Bookboss
post image

I love my library!

blurb
derr.liz
post image

The characters in these short stories leap off the pages along with Zora's wit and wisdom. 👑

#blackhistorymonth #womenshistorymonth

9 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Lchnessmnstr
post image

Anyone else buy this on for the title??? (Plus, it‘s on sale on Kindle!)

blurb
Aimeesue
post image

On sale today in US ebook stores. Newly published Zora!

LatrelWhite I got it today!!!!☺️ 5y
Aimeesue @Latrelwhite Metoo! I was so excited - new Zora!❤️❤️❤️ 5y
31 likes2 comments
blurb
Brewychock48
post image

I just started reading this book. My first book of Zora Neale Hurston's.
I absolutely love it. Heartbreakingly beautiful stories. I highly recommend this book.
#BLACKHISTORYMONTH📖😍❤️📚

60 likes3 stack adds
blurb
AmyK1
post image

Finished the first book for the #widehorizonsreadathon! I‘m at just over 4 hours-my goal is 30-so off to a good start. @Emilymdxn

Emilymdxn That‘s a great start and I really want to read this one! I preordered it but haven‘t got it yet 5y
21 likes1 comment
blurb
AmyK1
post image

Thanks for the tag @Eggs
1. Finishing the tagged today then I‘ll be starting The Nickel Boys
2. My family ❤️
3. MI to visit family (in the summer! 😂), the mountains. We would also like to go back to Wyoming and Yosemite.

I‘m tagging @Clwojick @Emilymdxn @TheAromaofBooks @veritysalter @Inkblotsandcoffeestains @hes7 @Chili @AsYouWish @wideeyedreader @Jadams1776 @Jerdencon

@MoonWitch94 #thoughtfulthursday

TheAromaofBooks Thanks for the tag!! ❤ 5y
MoonWitch94 My Aunt lives in Wyoming & I love visiting there. 💕 5y
Crazeedi Thought about you today, how are you doing? 💜 5y
See All 7 Comments
AmyK1 @Crazeedi I was thinking about you too! I‘m doing okay. How about you? 5y
Crazeedi @AmyK1 I'm ok, I think I have some winter blues, looking forward to spring already, lol. I'm behind on my note writing, but I'll be writing soon, have a lovely weekend 5y
AmyK1 @Crazeedi Hope you feel better soon. Have y‘all had a lot of cloudy/snowy days? I hated winter in MI because the sun was rarely out and it was hard to deal with. Hope you have a good weekend too! 5y
Crazeedi @AmyK1 it's been gloomy forever it seems😒 and dark so early, but I know it doesn't last forever!! 5y
20 likes7 comments
blurb
AmyK1
post image

@Emilymdxn has her #widehorizonsreadathon starting today. I‘m planning on finishing the tagged book then reading The Room on Rue Amélie and The Nickel Boys. If I have time I‘ll start The Auschwitz Escape. That will finish all the library books I currently have checked out.

blurb
Bookpearl
post image
review
NerdyRev
post image
Mehso-so

This is tough. If you are a completionist, grab this book as you will want this collection of lost short stories. If you know Their Eyes Were Watching God and that‘s about it, you can probably skip this one. All characters in the book speak in a written 1920s slang which can be very distracting to modern readers. Some stories were great.

15 likes1 stack add
blurb
amjones051989
post image

1. 2 - but working on # 3

2. #readharder for sure, maybe #litsyAtoZ?

3. Too many to list, but one is Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston

4. Going vegetarian again

5. Moving - hopefully without a roommate for the first time!

#thursdaysurvey @laurenslibrary

blank Thanks for playing! 5y
5 likes1 comment
blurb
MsLeah8417
post image
12 likes1 stack add