Zora Neale Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Quick scoop

  • Author: Zora Neale Hurston, an African American writer and anthropologist associated with the Harlem Renaissance.
  • Publication year: The novel was first published in 1937.
  • Genre/role: It is widely regarded as a classic of African American literature and a bildungsroman (coming‑of‑age story) about the protagonist Janie Crawford.

Why people still talk about it

  • The book was initially overlooked or criticized but was revived in the 1970s , especially after writer Alice Walker championed Hurston’s work.
  • Today it’s frequently taught in high schools and colleges and often appears on lists like PBS’s Great American Read , keeping it a trending topic in literary forums and discussions.

If you’d like, the next step could be a short breakdown of the plot or major themes in the novel.