Zora Neale Hurston ( January 7 , 1891 -- January 28 , 1960 ) was an American folklorist , anthropologist , and author . Of Hurston 's four novels and more than 50 published short stories , plays , and essays , she is best known for her 1937 novel `` Their Eyes Were Watching God '' .
Zora Neale Hurston ( January 7 , 1891 -- January 28 , 1960 ) was an American folklorist and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance , best known for the 1937 novel `` Their Eyes Were Watching God '' .