A Portrait in Black & White Emily Bernard Yale University Press: 342 pp. , $30 The line separating passion and obsession is porous. One step over that boundary, the territory becomes fraught — rutted with suspicion, quiet judgment if not outright accusati

He was a critic, a novelist, a photographer and he counted among his confidants some of the most accomplished black literary figures of his day including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and James Weldon Johnson. But Carl Van Vechten’s most notable ro

The writer and anthropologist wrote plays and novels in the 1930s and 1940s before passing into obscurity and being rediscovered decades after her death. Born in Alabama, she grew up in Florida before heading northward, probably when still a teenager. Sh

Today, we take for granted that Zora Neale Hurston is seen as the “literary mother” of African-American women writers. And yet, her books were controversial when they were first published, in part because Hurston focused on ordinary Southern black folks

"In Her Words" A Theatrical Musical Presentation at Capitol View Library Saturday, February 18th 1:00pm - 2:30pm Free “In Her Words” is a musical theatrical production that pays tribute to legendary creatives Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Zora

Join WQXR host Terrance McKnight to explore the world of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and the music of the Harlem Renaissance. Pianist Randy Weston, vocalist Maritri and the Song of Solomon Chorus will perform. Part of a series honoring the 75th a

RAVENSWOOD PUB, 1021 Route 146, Clifton Park. 371-8771. Nate, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17; Jezzie Tree Duo, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. RED SQUARE, 388 Broadway, Albany. DNBC Presents: Bassfix, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17; Dirty Paris, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18; NY F

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Florida Book Awards. Coordinated by the Florida State University Libraries and co-sponsored by a number of literary and educational organizations around the state, the awards recognize the best Florida literatur

Staff of the Chicago Defender. Dewey R. Jones is pictured in the top row, fourth from the left. No one I contacted on the dwindling staff of the Chicago Defender, a newspaper founded in 1905 to serve the city’s African American community, remembers “Ligh

A 77-year-old woman was missing and presumed dead and a neighbor was being treated for burns...- 12:50 am It was a typical afternoon for Lisa Rhodes-Ryabchich and her daughter, Kyla.- 1:05 am A bobbing little pompom put on a peak performance at the Wes

ALBANY - People from all walks of life and all races will be coming together this weekend to celebrate Black History Month with a play on the life of Zora Neale Hurston. She was a Renaissance woman whose life continues to captivate people. It’s a rehears

The Pan African Historical Museum USA in Springfield’s Tower Square will pay homage to the black chefs of the White House on Feb. 23 at noon. “Every year we do a salute to African American cuisine. This year we selected to highlight these great chefs bec

To commemorate the book’s 75th anniversary, WNYC and WQXR Radio will present a live radio play of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. New Yorkers will be able to catch the broadcast on February 29th and March 1st, and then the rest of the

ONE hundred years ago, the socialite and arts patron Mabel Dodge moved to New York from Florence, Italy, and began hosting figures like the anarchist Emma Goldman, the birth-control activist Margaret Sanger and the journalists John Reed and Lincoln Steff

The prolific writer Ivan Doig has set many of his large shelf of novels in rural Montana, where he was raised. He has gained a strong national readership for such touted reads as "English Creek," "The Whistling Season" and, recently, "Work Song." A Chica

Casting has been announced for Arthur Yorinks' radio play version of Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God at WNYC and WQXR Radio's Greene Space February 29 - March 1. Ruben Santiago-Hudson will direct the performances, which will celeb

Like many stories in the theater, this one begins with rejection. She didn’t get the part - but she never forgot Zora. “I always say Zora chose me; I didn’t chose her,” said Badon. “It’s funny how your life moves in unexpected ways and things happen." Cu

February is Black History Month. Here is a list of related events taking place in Rockland County. Send an email to calendarlohud.com to include your event in this list. Spring Valley: JAMCCAR Celebrates Black History Month. Winsome Downie-Rainford, a p

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