Zora, When Interviewed About Her Hat
DuEwa Frazier
"Portrait of Zora Neale Hurston" by Carl Van Vechten; photographic print; April 3 1938; open source from the Library of Congress
I wear my hat this way
Because it protects my Ori
From negative energy and folks
That don’t believe
A woman like me should exist
I wear my hat this way
Tilted over
My eye
Because I’m a REBEL
I was born this way
I left Eatonville as a young girl
Journeyed up North and I never
Looked back
Until it was time to write Their Eyes
Howard University, Harlem, Haiti
I sprinkled my MAGIC in these places
I wear my hat this way
Because the rain might
Spoil my hard-pressed curls
A Black woman’s hair
Has got to be fixed right
I wear my hat this way
To shield my beautiful
Brown eyes
From the ever burning, bright, sun
I wear my hat this way
Because it makes me handsome
Like a man
But as beautiful as a
South African rose
I wear my hat this way
Because I am a PORTRAIT
of the brilliant novelist,
Essayist, folklorist, and anthropologist
That I made myself to be
Because it protects my Ori
From negative energy and folks
That don’t believe
A woman like me should exist
I wear my hat this way
Tilted over
My eye
Because I’m a REBEL
I was born this way
I left Eatonville as a young girl
Journeyed up North and I never
Looked back
Until it was time to write Their Eyes
Howard University, Harlem, Haiti
I sprinkled my MAGIC in these places
I wear my hat this way
Because the rain might
Spoil my hard-pressed curls
A Black woman’s hair
Has got to be fixed right
I wear my hat this way
To shield my beautiful
Brown eyes
From the ever burning, bright, sun
I wear my hat this way
Because it makes me handsome
Like a man
But as beautiful as a
South African rose
I wear my hat this way
Because I am a PORTRAIT
of the brilliant novelist,
Essayist, folklorist, and anthropologist
That I made myself to be
About the Author
DuEwa Frazier is a poet and educator. Born in Brooklyn, New York her poetry has featured in Tidal Basin Review, Reverie Journal, Poetry in Performance, Black Renaissance Noire, Split this Rock, Drumvoices Revue, and other publications. She has received writing fellowships from Hurston/Wright Foundation and Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. DuEwa earned the MFA degree in Creative Writing at The New School. Visit her website at www.duewaworld.com.
About the Work
"This poem pays homage to my favorite writer, Zora Neale Huston, also known as “A Genius from the South.” My poem “Zora, When Interviewed About Her Hat” is a persona poem I crafted during a summer poetry fellowship with Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. The prompt called for us to focus on an object that belongs to a person. Novelist, folklorist, essayist, playwright, and anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston, was often photographed wearing a stylish hat. In some of her photos found online, Zora can be seen posing with her hat tipped to one side, with a rather serious look on her face. In others, Zora is smiling, appearing to have a good time, her hat completes the bold look for a woman with a memorable and handsome face. I wanted to know Zora’s thoughts about why she wears her hat. I wanted to convey the attitude and sass that she was known for."
About the Author's Process
"My work from 2020 to 2022 focuses heavily on memory, current events, pandemic reflections, music, homage to artists, and societal change. Whenever I’m inspired to write about women people I admire, I try to imagine what it would feel like to present my poem about them, to them. This was my thinking when I crafted, “Zora, When Interviewed About Her Hat.” I wanted to hopefully write a poem that if Zora read it today, would tickle her about herself. Zora was such a rebel and trailblazer as a writer that I can only imagine the amount of courage, humor, and self confidence she had to have to pursue her dreams as a writer during the challenging time in which she lived."
DuEwa Frazier is a poet and educator. Born in Brooklyn, New York her poetry has featured in Tidal Basin Review, Reverie Journal, Poetry in Performance, Black Renaissance Noire, Split this Rock, Drumvoices Revue, and other publications. She has received writing fellowships from Hurston/Wright Foundation and Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. DuEwa earned the MFA degree in Creative Writing at The New School. Visit her website at www.duewaworld.com.
About the Work
"This poem pays homage to my favorite writer, Zora Neale Huston, also known as “A Genius from the South.” My poem “Zora, When Interviewed About Her Hat” is a persona poem I crafted during a summer poetry fellowship with Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. The prompt called for us to focus on an object that belongs to a person. Novelist, folklorist, essayist, playwright, and anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston, was often photographed wearing a stylish hat. In some of her photos found online, Zora can be seen posing with her hat tipped to one side, with a rather serious look on her face. In others, Zora is smiling, appearing to have a good time, her hat completes the bold look for a woman with a memorable and handsome face. I wanted to know Zora’s thoughts about why she wears her hat. I wanted to convey the attitude and sass that she was known for."
About the Author's Process
"My work from 2020 to 2022 focuses heavily on memory, current events, pandemic reflections, music, homage to artists, and societal change. Whenever I’m inspired to write about women people I admire, I try to imagine what it would feel like to present my poem about them, to them. This was my thinking when I crafted, “Zora, When Interviewed About Her Hat.” I wanted to hopefully write a poem that if Zora read it today, would tickle her about herself. Zora was such a rebel and trailblazer as a writer that I can only imagine the amount of courage, humor, and self confidence she had to have to pursue her dreams as a writer during the challenging time in which she lived."
