F. Scott's Birthday September 24th

Today is the birthday of F. Scott Fitzgerald, born September 24, 1896. Fitzgerald (1896-1940) is the author of the great classic novel The Great Gatsby, as well as several other novels and stories that portray the lifestyle of the Jazz Age of the 1920's in the United States. In fact, the phrase jazz age was coined by Fitzgerald to capture the excitement and glamor of the time. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, and was not a popular success in its day or for the remainder of Fitzgerald's life. It has been highly praised by critics over the years and today is considered one of the greatest American novels.

     Fitzgerald was born on Cathedral Hill in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of EMC Publishing, so he is special to the local area. There is a life-size bronze statue of Fitzgerald in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. Sculptor Michael Price created this sculpture, representing F. Scott in his early thirties, to honor the renowned local author on the centennial of his birthday.You can even take a walking tour of the St. Paul neighborhood where F. Scott lived when he was in Minnesota. For more information about Fitzgerald's life and works, visit The F. Scott Fitzgerald Society website.
     A chapter from The Great Gatsby is included in the grade 11 Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature student textbook.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Anniversary

Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was first published on September 18, 1937. The novel chronicles Janie Crawford’s search for identity as an African-American woman and her place in the world. Their Eyes Were Watching God is also a tale of friendship; returning to Eatonville as a middle-aged woman, Janie summons her best friend, Pheoby Watson, to come and hear her story. As Janie narrates her story to Pheoby, the novel chronicles Janie’s life from childhood through three marriages and concludes with Janie’s homecoming. The novel takes place within communities in southern Florida, from Janie’s hometown to Eatonville to the “muck” of the Everglades.
     Although the Harlem Renaissance boomed in New York City, and many African-American women writers flourished during this time, the politics of Harlem seemed far away from south Florida. Still, the questions asked in Harlem—Where do I fit into American life? to American arts and literature? Who am I as an African-American woman?—influenced the development of African-American communities throughout the United States. Hurston also grappled with these questions in Their Eyes Were Watching God and in her life as an African- American woman writer. Alice Walker said of Hurston's novel, “There is no book more important to me than this one.”

Get the complete experience of reading the Their Eyes Were Watching God with your classes with EMC's Access Edition novel, complete with a study guide, time line of Hurston's life and works, historical context, character descriptions, guided reading questions, vocabulary support, plot analysis, and related readings, such as "Love" an excerpt from Dust Tracks on a Road by Hurston. Creative and critical writing activities, projects, a glossary, and handbook of literary terms are also included.