UGA Press: Woman in Front of the Sun • Cofer


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Woman in Front of the Sun
On Becoming a Writer
Judith Ortiz Cofer

One woman's journey toward becoming an artist

In this collection of essays woven with poems and folklore, Judith Ortiz Cofer tells the story of how she became a poet and writer and explores her love of words, her discovery of the magic of language, and her struggle to carve out time to practice her art.

A native of Puerto Rico, Cofer came to the mainland as a child. Torn between two cultures and two languages, she learned early the power of words and how to wield them. She discovered her love for the subtleties, sounds, and rhythms of the written word when a Roman Catholic nun and teacher bent on changing traditions for the better gave her books of high literature to read, some of which were forbidden by the church. Later, as an adult, demands from her family and her profession made it difficult for Cofer to find time to devote to her art, but her need and determination to express herself led to solutions that can help all artists challenged with the limits of time. Cofer recalls the family cuentos, or stories, that inspire her and shows how they speak to all artists, all women, all people. She encourages her readers to insist on the right to be themselves and to pursue their passions.

A book that entertains, instructs, and enthralls, Woman in Front of the Sun will be invaluable to students of poetry and creative nonfiction and will be a staple in every creative writing classroom as well as an inspiration to all those who write.

Judith Ortiz Cofer is a Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Georgia.

September 2000

ISBN 0820322423 paper • $16.95

144 pp. • 5 x 7 in.
"Cofer writes with conviction and power, encouraging all who aspire to writing or creative endeavor to pursue their dream with energy and dedication."
—Library Journal
Praise for Judith Ortiz Cofer's writing:"A writer of authentic gifts, with a genuine and important story to tell."
—The New York Times, on The Line of the Sun
"Cofer is a fine storyteller. Her prose conveys all the energy and mystery of anticipation."
—Women's Review of Books, on The Line of the Sun
"Like Thoreau, [Cofer] is a writer intoxicated with the personal. . . . Like Emerson, her poetry is her faith."
—In These Times, on The Latin Deli
"Stories and poems . . . with the sensitivity and verisimilitude of a James Agee, a Carson McCullers, or a Harper Lee.-Magill's Literary Annual, on The Latin Deli
"A wellspring of inspiration and encouragement for women who wrestle with satisfying their gift of word."-ForeWord, on Sleeping with One Eye Open

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