Zora Neale Hurston ( January 7 , 1891 -- January 28 , 1960 ) was an American folklorist and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance , best known for the 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God . Zora Neale Hurston ( January 7 , 1891 -- January 28 , 1960 ) was an American folklorist , anthropologist , and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance .