eatonville -- i was looking at this, eatonville has changed since i was there ten years ago -- but eatonville a black space. eatonville was home. eatonville is where people sang songs and wrote the poetry and the kids played together and they felt safe in eatonville. a safety that you didn't always feel in the south. of the south is a dangerous place at this time for black folks. it has been dangerous and a period of slavery. it remains dangerous for black people. but a town like eatonville is a safe space for black people. kids could grow up and feel safe. kids playing in the photograph that we were showing a moment ago, that was real. and i think that's why it stands out as a unique place even now, whether you've read the novel or not. >> host: the oldest black incorporated a town in america since 1887. well, this is an interactive program. tonight, "their eyes were watching god" is our book that shaped america. we want to hear from you as well. here's how you can participate if you have a question or comment about zora neale hurston or "their eyes were watching god," (202)748-8920 if you l

eatonville -- i was looking at this, eatonville has changed since i was there ten years ago -- but eatonville black space. eatonville was home. eatonville is where people sang songs and wrote the poetry and the kids played together and they felt safe in eatonville. a safety that you didn't always feel in the south. of the south is a dangerous place at this time for black folks. it has been dangerous and a period of slavery. it remains dangerous for black people. but a town like eatonville is a safe space for black people. kids could grow up and feel safe. kids playing in the photograph that we were showing a moment ago, that was real. and i think that's why it stands out as a unique place even now, whether you've read the novel or not. >> host: the oldest black incorporated a town in america since 1887. well, this is an interactive program. tonight, "their eyes were watching god" is our book that shaped america. we want to hear from you as well. here's how you can participate if you have a question or comment about zora neale hurston or "their eyes were watching god," (202)748-8920 if you liv

eatonville -- i was looking at this, eatonville has changed since i was there ten years ago -- but eatonville black space. eatonville was home. eatonville is where people sang songs and wrote the poetry and the kids played together and they felt safe in eatonville. a safety that you didn't always feel in the south. of the south is a dangerous place at this time for black folks. it has been dangerous and a period of slavery. it remains dangerous for black people. but a town like eatonville is a safe space for black people. kids could grow up and feel safe. kids playing in the photograph that we were showing a moment ago, that was real. and i think that's why it stands out as a unique place even now, whether you've read the novel or not. >> host: the oldest black incorporated a town in america since 1887. well, this is an interactive program. tonight, "their eyes were watching god" is our book that shaped america. we want to hear from you as well. here's how you can participate if you have a question or comment about zora neale hurston or "their eyes were watching god," (202)748-8920 if you liv

we are in a place that looks a lot different from modern eatonville are the eatonville of the day and it hearkens back to what we call old florida and we are standing in a place where she is known to have done some of her writing. at a certain point she came back and forth to eatonville and at times when she did stay here we called this tuxedo junction. it's actually located right on the shores of the lake. it is a place as i say that she is known to have done some of her writing. now we are at the matilda mazie house museum and we are here because matilda mosley known as tillie. matilda mosley was a direct descendent of the founder of the town of eatonville. a special in a place like florida and the south the porch is a social gathering place for family and friends in here we are stationed or positioned in the woods. what you see here really represents the essence of the folklorist. she was the course a writer but she was also a folklorist in an anthropologist and what we see in this photograph is she's collecting full-color materials and this home represents the tying of the bow bec

now, we are in a space that looks a lot different from modern eatonville or eatonville of the day, in fact, this is a space that really harkens back what we call old florida. and we are standing in a place where hurston is known to have done some of her writings. you know, at a certain point, she came back and forth to eatonville, and at times when she did stay here, we called this tuxedo junction. it is actually located right on the -- on the shore so to speak , of the lake, it is a place, as i say, that she is known to have done some of her writing. now we are at the matilda motzi house museum, and we are here because matilda mosley, known as tilly, was hurston's best friend as a child. matilda mosley was a direct descendent of the founder of the town of eatonville, joe clark, especially the place like florida and the south. the porch is -- it is a social gathering place for family and friends, and here, we actually are stationed or positioned in the porch. what you see here is -- it really represents the essence of hurston as a folklorist. you know, she was of course the writer of

matilda was a direct descendant of the founder of eatonville, joe clark.th, the porch is a social gathering place for family and friends. here we are stationed in the porch. what you see here represents the essence of zora neale hurston as a folklorist. she was a writer, folklorist and anthropologist. in this photograph, she is collecting folklore materials. this represents a tying of the bow. you have a family, a founding family. you have the connection between the childhood friendship zora neale hurston and tillie maintained through adulthood. that social interaction combined with the establishment of the town, the incorporated municipality, the first african-american incorporated municipality in the u.s. and you have the writer, the genius of zora neale hurston that establishes eatonville as a destination for readers around the globe. ♪ >> weeknights, 9:00 eastern, our 10 part series, books that shaped america, partnering with the library of congress to explore literature that have had an impact on our country. tonight, zora neale hurston's their eyes w

now, we're in a a space that looks a lot different are if modern eaton theville or eatonville of the day. in fact, this is a space that really hearkens back to what we call old florida. and we are standing in a place where zora neale hurston is known to have done some of her writing. you know, at a certain point she came back and forth to eatonville, and at times when he did stay here -- she did stay here, we call this tuxedo junction. it's actually located right on the shore, so to speaks of lake -- [inaudible] it is a place, as i say, that she is known to have done some of her writing. now we're at the matilda mow city house -- mosley house museum, and we're here because matilda, known as millie, was a direct descendant of the founder of the town of eatonville, joe clark, especially a place like florida and the south, the porch is, it's a social gathering place for family and friends. and here we actually are stationed or positioned in the porch. what you see here is, it really represents the essence of zora neale hurston as a folklorist. she was, of course, the writer of this lite

now, we're in a space that looks a lot different than modern eatonville and eatonville of the day and harkens back to what we call old florida and we're standing in a place where zora hurston is known to have done some of her writing. at some point she came back and forth to eatonville and at times when she did stay here, we called this tuxedo junction. it's actually located right on the shore, so to speak, of the lake. it's a place, as i say, that she is known to have done some of her writing. >> now we're at the matilda mosey house museum and we're here because matilda mosley, known as tilley, was zora hurston's best friend as a child. matilda, it's a social gathering place for family and friends on the porch and here we're positioned or positioned in the porch. what you see here is-- it really represents zora as a folklorist and the writer of "their eyes are watching god" and a folklorist and anthropologist, in this photograph she's actually collecting folklore materials and this home, i think, represents a kind of tying of the bow because you have a family, a founding family, you

we are in a space that looks a lot different from modern eatonville or the eatonville of today.is a space that harkens back to what we call old florida. we are standing in a place where hurston is known to have done some of her writing. at a certain point she came back and forth to eatonville and at times when she stayed here it is actually located on the shores of the lake. it is a place that she is known to have done some of her writing. now we are at the matilda mosley house museum and we are here because matilda mosley, known as tillie, was norma hurston's best friend as a child. she was a direct descendant of the founder of the town of eatonville. florida in the south, the porch is a social gathering place for family and friends. here, we actually are positions in the porch. what you see here really represents the essence of her as a folklorist. she was of course the writer of "the eyes are watching god" but was also a folklorist. what you see in this photograph is she is collecting folklore material. this home i think represents a kind of tidying of the bow -- tying of the

she was born in 1891, died in 1960, her parents brought her to eatonville when she was a toddler.o in the early 1900s, this roadway now called east kennedy boulevard, was the old apopka highway. it was the link between northeast orange county, maitland, and northwest orange county, apopka. so, the road itself is historic. we're in a space that looks a lot different from modern eatonville, in fact, this is a space that harkens back what we call old florida. we are standing in a place where zora neale hurston is known to have done some of her writing. at a certain point, she came back and forth to eatonville, and at times, when she didn't stay here we called this ticks ito junction. it is located on the shores of the lake. it is a place that she is known to have done some of her writing. now we're at the matilda house museum. we are here because matilda mosley, known as tillie, was already a hurston's best friend at the time. matilda mosley was a direct descendant of the town founder, joe clark. especially in florida in the south, the porch is the social gathering place for family a

now, we're in a space e that looks at lot different from modern eatonville or eatonville of the day. in fact, this is a space that really hearkens back to what we call old florida. and we are standing in a place where zora neale hurston is known to have done some of her writing. you know, at a certain point she came back and forth to eaton ville, and at times when she did stay here, we call this tuxedo junction. it's actually located right on the shore, so to speak, of the lake. it is a place, as i say, that sheds known to have -- she is known to have done some of her writing. now we're at the matilda mosley house museum. and we are here because matilda mosley, known as tillie, was zora neale hur on the tees -- hurston's best friend as a child. she was a direct descendant of the founder of the town of eaton theville, clark, especially in a place like florida in the south. the porch is, it's a social gathering place for family and friends. and here we actually are stationed or positioned in the porch. who you see -- what you see here is, it really represents the's sense of zora neale