Imagine being a writer during the Harlem Renaissance , a period when Black culture was thriving , a nd some of the most progressive work in art , music , theater , and literature was being created . Imagine meeting one of the writers on the cusp of greatness , one of the popular figures of the literati , or according to cheeky vernacular , “ The Niggerati ,”— the group of Black artists and intellectuals who comprised the in-crowd .
Now , imagine forging a friendship based on mutual admiration of each other ’ s work and the unabashed love of your culture . Case in point : Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes — one a small-town writer whose stories are informed by her unadulterated Blackness and the other , a poet / playwright with his finger on the pulse of Black life in the city .
They enjoyed a friendship centered around work and play . Coming from two different worlds , Zora from the Deep South , and Langston from Missouri , then Mexico , they were both filled with wanderlust . They loved to travel to destinations far and wide for the sake of their art , and it always brought them back to th e source of their inspiration — Black folks .
These Southerners brought their ways and customs and the resourcefulness to make a dollar out of fifteen cents , as the saying goes . In Harlem , there was an abundance of sharing apartments , working hard , and sometimes giving parties just to pay the rent . Their expressions and protests inspired much of the artistic growth that made Harlem a cultural mecca for Black art in all its forms . Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes were there to observe and record it all , informed by the stories they also brought with them . With keen observation and an astute balance of intellect and style , they depicted Black life with an authenticity that sometimes came under fire . Yet , they were determined to do it their way — without political correctness or consideration of the ” white gaze .”
The same spirit was supposed to carry over when they decided to collaborate on a play . Mulebone : A Comedy of Negro Life was supposed to exemplify a slice of life that was rarely seen outside the Black community . The play was based on one of the tales Zora collected in her travels , and while staying true to the characters , it included the dialect from their everyday use .
And then the way they often do when a good thing is in the offing , things fell apart . According to most accounts , before the work was complete , Ms . Hurston took the incomplete manuscript and went on a writing break . They had barely finished the work on two acts of the play . Despite numerous attempts to communicate , Langston Hughes never resumed work on the play . The two friends could not agree on how to move forward with the work . She copyrighted the manuscript in her name only , to which he responded with copyrighting it in both names . This issue was unfortunate in the fact that two literary giants of their era could not mend fences . Their friendship only lasted for five years , but their play took sixty years to make it to the stage . Truthfully , it ’ s a good thing neither was alive to see it open to lackluster reviews .
No one understands a writer ’ s trials and triumphs like another writer . That ’ s why it ’ s so important to “ define your tribe and love them hard ,” as a popular Facebook graphic declares . If a writer is lucky — really lucky — he / she connects with other writers in a way that ’ s more synergistic than work . The experience transcends the mechanics of being a writer and goes straight to “ You ’ re my people ,” as in true kindred spirits .
Alas , that was not to be with Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes . Their names have earned a place on the list of famous writers and their feuds . When words with enemies get out of hand , sometimes there ’ s no coming back . It ’ s said that in his private papers , a handwritten note on Hughes ’ s copy of the manuscript states “ This play was never done because the authors fell out .” Enough said .
See you next time in Zora ’ s Den .
Victoria Kennedy writes fiction . She contributed to The Dating Game anthology and wrote a short story collection titled , Where Love Goes . She is also the founder of Zora ’ s Den , an online writers ’ group . Her latest book is a novel , Sometimes Love , published by Brown Girls Books . www . victoriaadamskennedy . com
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