Zora Neale Hurston is the subject of a doodle appearing on Google’s homepage today, which marks what would have been the writer and anthropologist’s 123rd birthday. She was born in 1891 in Alabama, and passed away in 1960 in Florida, where she was raised.

Hurston is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. She wrote four novels including Their Eyes Were Watching God, which Time named one of the 100 best English-language novels. She also penned over 50 published short stories, plays, and essays, and worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). She was considered a major part of the Harlem Renaissance.

Here’s a pretty good, brief bio of Hurston:

The official Zora Neale Hurston site offers an interesting biographical timeline of her life, and points to places where you can find her books (and audio), including five children’s books adapted from Hurston’s work.

Image: Wikimedia Commons