“lost” zora neale hurston stories coming in 2020

Fans of legendary Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston have a reason to celebrate. A new collection of Hurston’s short stories, entitled Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick, is scheduled for publication in the new year, set to be released on January 14, 2020 through Harper Collins.

The collection boasts eight “lost” stories that focus on Harlem, which were rescued from obscurity in “forgotten periodicals and archives.” According to VIBE, the writings tackle everything from racism, sexism, and classism, to love, gender and migration. They’re going to be super lit.

According to the HarperCollins website, “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 worlds.”

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is set to be released a week after Hurston’s 129th birthday day.