Quotes from Zora Neale Hurston

Oh, dey put me under arrest one day for vacancy in Bartow. When de judge found out Ah had a job of work. He took and searched me and when he found out Ah had a deck of cards on me, he charged me wid totin' concealed cards, and attempt to gamble, and gimme three months. Then dey made out another charge 'ginst me. 'Cused me of highway shufflin', and attempt to gamble. You know dese white folks sho hates tuh turn a n****r loose, if every dey git dey hands on 'im.

Zora, why do you think dese li'l slim women was put on earth? Couldn't tell you to save my life. Well, dese slim ones was put here to beautify de world. De big ones, musta been put here for de same reason. Ah, naw, Zora. Ah don't agree wid you there. Well then, what was they put here for? To show dese slim girls how far they kin stretch without bustin'.

Jus' cause you done set round and growed ruffles round yo' hips nobody can't mention fat 'thout you makin' out they talkin' bout you.

They don't know if life is a mess of cornmeal dumplings, and if love is a bed-quilt!

She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people ; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her. But she had been whipped like a cur dog, and run off down a back road after things .

It is one of the blessings of this world that few people see visions and dream dreams.

It seems to me that trying to live without friends is like milking a bear to get cream for your morning coffee. It is a whole lot of trouble, and then not worth much after you get it

[Proverbs] are short sayings made out of long experience.

Grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear.

Friendship is a mysterious and ocean-bottom thing. Who can know the outer ranges of it? Perhaps no human being has ever explored its limits.

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.

Love, I find, is like singing. Everybody can do enough to satisfy themselves, though it may not impress the neighbors as being very much.

Love, I find, is like singing. Everyone can do enough to satisfy themselves, though it may not impress the neighbors as being very much.