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Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer
 
 
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Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer [Hardcover]

Judith Ortiz Cofer (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 1, 2000
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.


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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection of essays and poetry tells of Cofer's love of language and how she became a writer. Born in Puerto Rico, she came to the mainland as a child. Since then, she has struggled with being torn between two cultures and, more recently, with finding time for writing while balancing her family and teaching career. Cofer (English and creative writing, Univ. of Georgia; Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood) uses cuentos, or stories, that have served her as inspiration, and she points out how they speak to everyone. Especially noteworthy is "The Woman Who Slept with One Eye Open." Here Cofer shows metaphorically how the artist must use ingenious means to avoid or outsmart anything or anyone who keeps her from realizing her creative power. Cofer writes with conviction and power, encouraging all whom aspire to writing or creative endeavor to pursue their dream with energy and dedication. This book will be useful in creative writing classes and for those who would like to write but cannot find the time and energy. Recommended for public and academic libraries. [The story cited here also inspired the title for an anthology Cofer coedited, Sleeping with One Eye Open: Women Writers and the Art of Survival, LJ 11/15/99.DEd.]DNancy R. Ives, SUNY at Genese.
-DNancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"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
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Univ of Georgia Pr (September 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 082032261X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0820322612
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,072,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Critically acclaimed and widely published poet, novelist, and essayist Judith Ortiz Cofer knows that "words have the power to transform you and give you the power to shape your life. The minute you open your mouth, you have introduced yourself." Writing extensively about the experience of being Puerto Rican and her identity as a woman and writer in the U.S., she is a lauded Regents and Franklin Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Georgia where she teaches literature and creative writing.

 

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Average Customer Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You cannot be passive and create., March 30, 2001
I stumbled upon this title while reading an issue of The Oxford American and decided to give it a read. What a revelation! I am not familiar with any of Judith Ortiez Cofer's other works, but if this is any indication, I will be reading them all. A collection of essays, poems and folktales, this book blends the author's emergence as a writer with memories of growing up as a Puerto Rican in Patterson, New Jersey. The influences of the island her parents left behind, the Catholic Church as well as the emerging women's movement, combine with a Growing knowledge that the author wants to write. This is not only an autobiography, it is a compelling argument of why she has answered the call to write, and the struggles with self, that she, as a writer has faced. It examines the drive to create, the forces that pull one away from writing, and the quest to have a place of one's own. In clear, lyrical language, she encourages women to seek a life of truth, no matter the route or medium. She reveals some of the writers (a diverse group) that ignited her imagination and passion for writing. "Take what you can use and let the rest rot" is an expression used, and this book is invaluable to women, actually , to anyone who loves to read and who longs to use words to reach others. The best "writing" book I have read in years, and a treasure to keep.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Summoning Females to Macho, December 3, 2002
By 
Sarah Keturah Gowan (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews
I have only recently become acquainted with Ortiz-Cofer's splendid honesty and stretching creativity, yet I am overwhelmed with the power that she exudes in "Woman in Front of the Sun". Having read "The Latin Deli", I was ecstatic when I found another collection that calls her memory and lessons learned to dance for the curiosity of her readers. Aside from the traditional definition of the term, Ortiz-Cofer is powerful through the pure simplicity of her accounts of life. In "Woman in Front of the Sun", she places value on what is valuable, she learns through the grades of life, and she exposes her tender realities to those she hopes will appreciate her. She inspires readers to find the innocence in being "Macho", the same value others might call confidence. By opening the pages of this book, you'll find a comfort similar to that of your own thoughts.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Sister Rosetta came into my life in 1966, at exactly the right moment. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
woman who slept
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Front of the Sun, Puerto Rican, Sister Rosetta, Puerto Rico, Maria Sabida, Marla Sabida, Alice Walker, María Sabida, New Jersey, African American, Flannery O'Connor, United States, Virginia Woolf, Deep South, Mother English, Fernando Colón, Maria La Loca
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