She says Hurston tried to get it published back in the 1930s, but the manuscript was rejected. Tracy Sherrod is editorial director of Amistad at HarperCollins, which is now publishing the book. NEARY: It's a national treasure that has spent more than 60 years in Howard University's library where only scholars had access to it. It makes "Barracoon" a national treasure.
Deborah Plant, who edited "Barracoon," says that makes the book special because most slave narratives focus on life in this country.ĭEBORAH PLANT: It is so unusual. As one of the last slaves to be brought to this country aboard an illegal vessel, Lewis still had many memories of his life in Africa. Though he was an old man, he was thrilled to hear it again.
LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: When Zora Neale Hurston first met Cudjo Lewis at his home in Alabama, she called him by his African name, Kossola. Lewis came to this country aboard the last ship that brought slaves across the Atlantic.
It's called "Barracoon," and it's based on a series of conversations that she had with Cudjo Lewis. Actually, it's an old book that's only now being published. Zora Neale Hurston, the legendary writer from the Harlem Renaissance, has a new book.
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