Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is a compilation of recovered short stories written by Zora Neale Hurston. It was published in 2020 by Amistad: An Imprint of HarperCollins publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-291579-5
Foreword
The foreword of Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick was written August 19, 2019 by Tayari Jones. Jones gives readers a different perspective on Zora Neale Hurston's influence as a writer and how she chose to reveal herself through her writings. Through the stories of country folks, farmers, factory workers, and more, Hurston shares every capacity of the human experience. Jones also explains how Zora Neale Hurston shares her sense of humor with her audiences. One of the most important aspects of Zora Neale Hurston's writings, according to Jones, is that even the happiest and funniest characters still get the blues. Jones further goes into detail how she believes it is powerful that Hurston shares all walks of life through parents, lovers, children, spouses, and friends. Jones also explains in this source that Hurston found inspiration from her hometown of Eatonville, Florida and she makes no attempts to hide its identity. Hurston loved her hometown and her writings are both love letters and testimonies to where she grew up. According to Jones, Hurston's stories are timeless as she portrays people with underlying power and they must find that power within themselves. Lastly, Jones provides background information of how Alice Walker came to find Zora Neale Hurston's grave and Tayari Jones acknowledges how Hurston was a victim of racism and sexism.
Introduction
The introduction of Zora Neale Hurston's, Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick was written October 22, 2019 by Genevieve West. West paints how Hurston was ahead of her time in her critiques of race, gender, class, and art and that she used romance to explore these topics. West also explains Hurston's desire to create stories around the Great Migration and how the setting of urban environments played a role. She also outlines Hurston's academic experiences from high school to college at Howard University and how her education had a positive impact on her career as an author. Furthermore, the author gives an account on Zora Neale Hurston's family history and how her experiences would go on to influence her writings. West shares with readers how Hurston's short stories opened doors for her that allowed for great networking opportunities and eventually led to her finding a book publisher in the 1930s. The introduction is separated into sections called: "Hurston 'Really Did Get Born,'" "The Politics of Art in the Harlem Renaissance," "Interrogating the Politics of Gender and Class," "Exploring the Politics of Race and Class," and "The End of the Era."
Short stories
The short stories from Zora Neale Hurston's, Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick are as follows:
John Redding Goes to Sea
John Redding Goes to Sea follows the story of John Redding from childhood into adulthood. The main character longs to leave his hometown and explore the world. However, his mother, Matty, is possessive, superstitious, and claims to be ill in order to convince him to stay. His wife, Stella, also works with John's mother to prevent him from traveling. He finally relinquishes his dreams to remain home with his mother and wife, despite having worked to have an education for himself. John eventually develops the urge to join the Navy. The night he planned to speak to his family about enlisting, he is killed while working to build a bridge on the St. Johns River. His body is not recovered from the river and his wish of travel is finally granted in death as he floats along the river.
The Conversion of Sam
This tale, tells the story of Sam Simpson, and his goal to win over Stella, who has recently moved from Virginia to Harlem. Sam does all he can to impress the young woman by relinquishing his lower class lifestyle and getting a more respectable job. Stella eventually accepts Sam's marriage proposal and they move into a quaint middle-class neighborhood together. Unfortunately, Sam is unable to fully give up his old habits and falls back into his old ways. He gambles away all of their money, but Sam is finally convinced to give up his unhealthy habits once and for all after Stella is injured when searching for him one night. Sam begs his old boss for his job back and he agrees, under the condition that Sam would not relapse again. Sam continuously must make the choice between what he has always been and who he wishes to become.