Hurston, Zora Neale: 1891-1960

Barracoon, 2018 - Information About the Book

  • General Information
    • Good for Discussing:
      Transatlantic Slave Trade
      Cultural Memory
      Firsthand Narratives in Shaping Black history
    • "Barracoon" is the history of Cudjo Lewis, or Oluale Kossola, the last living African “cargo” of the slave ship, Clotilda. Kossola was sold and captured from Dahomey (now Benin) and brought to Mobile Bay in Alabama See Summary.
      Its English is difficult to understand. Yet there is a modern English version available.
    • Information from Wikipeda
    • Reader Rating:
    • Zora Neale Hurston’s inspiration for writing “Barracoon.”
      The book is based on interviews she conducted in 1927 and 1928 with Cudjo Lewis (Oluale Kossola), one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade.
  • Facts
    • A barracoon is a prison where captives were held before being shipped across the Atlantic.
    • Hurston began working as an investigator for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in 1927.
      She traveled for six months throughout Florida and other places in the South to collect folklore from the Black people living there. Hurston interviewed Kossola in Mobile, Alabama. Based on this interview, the article, “Cudjo’s Own Story of the Last African Slaver,” was published in The Journal of Negro History.
      Hurston made many attempts to publish the interview as "Barracoon", but was unsuccessful. She did not find a pubisher because she wanted to authentically represent Kossola’s story by writing in his dialect.
      The book was finally published in 2018.
    • Awards: The book received numerous accolades and nominations and was highly acclaimed for its historical significance and literary merit.

    • The Last Survivor of the Atlantic Slave Trade
      The book is based on interviews conducted by Zora Neale Hurston in 1927 with Cudjo Lewis, who was abducted from Africa in 1860 at age 19 and brought to the United States on the last known slave ship, the Clotilda. As the last living survivor of the transatlantic slave trade, Lewis's firsthand account provides a rare and invaluable perspective on this tragic chapter of history.

      Life in Africa Before Enslavement
      Lewis vividly recounts his childhood in Africa, including details about his village, customs, and way of life before being captured and enslaved. This offers a glimpse into the rich cultures and traditions that were devastated by the slave trade.

      The Trauma of Capture and Middle Passage
      Lewis describes in harrowing detail the raid on his village, his capture, and the horrific conditions endured during the Middle Passage journey across the Atlantic packed in the hold of the Clotilda slave ship.

      Preserving Language and Oral Tradition
      Hurston made the deliberate choice to transcribe Lewis's story in his own dialect and vernacular English, preserving the cadence and authenticity of his voice as a griot (West African storyteller). This highlights the importance of language in maintaining cultural identity and oral histories.

      The Pain of Loss and Dislocation
      Throughout the interviews, Lewis grapples with the profound loss of his homeland, family, and way of life – a pain that never left him. The book poignantly captures the trauma of being torn from one's roots and the struggle to rebuild a sense of community and belonging.

      By giving voice to Cudjo Lewis's remarkable life story, Barracoon serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable cruelty and injustice.


    • Upon its release, "Barracoon" received widespread attention and critical acclaim. Many critics and scholars appreciated the book for its historical importance.

      Critics highlighted Huston's skillful use of Lewis's dialect and vernacular, which added depth and realism to his story.

      While the book was widely acclaimed, some critics pointed out potential issues with Hurston's ethnographic approach and the ethical implications of her relationship with Cudjo Lewis. There were discussions about the balance between preserving authenticity and the interpretative role of the interviewer.

      Overall, "Barracoon" was received as a vital contribution to American literature and history, providing an invaluable perspective on the African American experience and the enduring impact of slavery. The book's release was celebrated as a significant literary event, bringing Zora Neale Hurston's work and Cudjo Lewis's story to a broader audience.

  • Commentary
    • Zora Neale Hurston's "Barracoon" is a profoundly moving account that captures the voice and experience of Cudjo Lewis (Kossola), one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade. Based on Hurston's interviews with Kossola in the 1920s, the book reflects her dedication to preserving oral histories and illuminating a dark chapter in American history.

      What sets "Barracoon" apart is its authenticity. Hurston retains Kossola's dialect, allowing readers to experience his story as he told it, with all its pain, resilience, and humanity. His narrative begins in West Africa, recounting his life before being captured and sold into slavery, and moves through his forced journey on the illegal slave ship Clotilda to his struggles in post-emancipation America. This raw and unfiltered testimony bridges personal and historical trauma, making the book an invaluable contribution to African American literature and history.

      Hurston’s empathetic portrayal humanizes Kossola while highlighting the systemic inhumanity of slavery. The book also raises questions about cultural memory and the erasure of African voices in historical narratives. "Barracoon" is both a tribute to Kossola's endurance and a stark reminder of the enduring legacy of slavery, compelling readers to confront history with unflinching honesty.

  • Articles: General Information | Detailed/Scholarly Information
    • General Information:
    • Review: "The review covers Barracoon with some personal impressions and basic context from the book, but it doesn’t go deep into analysis of themes or historical significance." Book Girl Magic; May 12, 2018
    • Zora Neale Hurston study of last survivor of US slave trade to be published: "The article gives a clear and engaging summary of Barracoon’s publication and historical importance, but doesn’t deeply analyze the book’s themes or methodology." The Guardian; December 19, 2017
    • Audio (6:06)
      'Barracoon' Offers a Vivid, First-Hand Account of Slavery in America: "The segment provides a clear and useful overview of Barracoon’s focus on Cudjo Lewis’s life and Hurston’s choices (especially her preservation of his language), but it’s relatively brief and doesn’t go deeply into broader historical or literary context." NPR Radio; May 8, 2018
      Transcript
    • Video (1:16:31)
      Ms. Plant, the book’s editor, talks about the book: "The article offers useful historical context and insights into the book’s background and significance, but isn’t a detailed academic analysis." C-SPAN-; June 27, 2020
    • Contraband Flesh: "The article offers an insightful and nuanced analysis of Barracoon that goes beyond a simple summary by exploring Hurston’s complex relationship to Cudjoe Lewis’s story." The Paris Review; May 7, 2018
    • Detailed/Scholarly Information:
    • "Barracoon" Brings A Lost Slave Story To Light: "The article provides a clear, engaging and context‑rich overview of Hurston’s Barracoon, explaining its historical significance, the unique firsthand account of Cudjo Lewis, and why Hurston’s preservation of his voice matters, making it very informative." NPR Radio; May 8, 2018
    • A Different Backstory: "The article gives a very detailed and historically informative analysis, focusing on its complex backstory, the role of her patron Charlotte Osgood Mason, unpublished history, and why the manuscript was delayed and later republished." Los Angeles Review of Books; July 7, 2018
    • Zora Neale Hurston explores the life of a slave trade survivor: "The article gives a clear, informative overview of Barracoon that explains the book’s context, Hurston’s approach, and the significance of Cudjo Lewis’s narrative, helping readers understand both the historical importance and the human story at the heart of the work." The Christian Science Monitor.; May 31, 2018
    • The Novel Casts a Spotlight on America’s Sordid, Still Festering History: "The article gives a clear and context‑rich analysis of Barracoon, emphasizing Hurston’s role as an anthropological narrator, how she foregrounds Cudjo Lewis’s own voice and vernacular, and how the book illuminates both the historical reality of the transatlantic slave trade and its ongoing cultural reverberations." PopMatters; July 31, 2018
    • Fresh efforts to understand the writer’s history and craft: "The article gives a clear, informative overview of Barracoon’s significance by highlighting how two Harvard scholars contextualize the book’s anthropological depth and complex publication history." Harvard Magazine; November13, 2018
    • The Power of Untold Slave Narratives: "The article gives a clear, contextualized analysis of Barracoon that highlights how Hurston expands and deepens popular understandings of the transatlantic slave trade." The Atlantic; October 1, 2018
    • Introduction to Hurston’s Barracoon: "The article uses Barracoon as a case to explore broader scholarly ideas about how narratives of slavery are read, interpreted, and negotiated in post-slavery contexts." OpenEdition; 2021
  • Podcasts:
    • Discussion of the book's history and Hurston's legacy. 2018
      "The podcast gives a solid overview of Barracoon’s context, history, and significance by discussing Hurston’s interviews with Cudjo Lewis and the book’s long journey to publication, but it isn’t a deep textual analysis of the work itself."
  • Publishing History

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