Zora Neale Hurston wrote “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” The book was published in 1937 after the Harlem Renaissance even though the book is most associated with this type of literature. Hurston wrote the book in just seven short weeks when she was in Haiti researching obeah and voodoo. When she was a toddler, Hurston’s family moved to Eatonville, Florida which was an all-black town. Her father served several terms as Mayor for this town. Eatonville, Florida is a town in the book that represents innocence and happiness for Janie Crawford. Hurston’s life in Eatonville greatly influenced her writing. In 1921, Howard University published Hurston’s first story in a magazine. In 1925, she became a significant figure in the Harlem Renaissance
