Judith Ortiz Cofer's Poetry Touches a Chord
Judith Ortiz Cofer is a Latina poet and prolific writer, born inPuerto Rico in 1952 and now residing in Athens, Georgia. She marriedCharles John Cofer in 1971, and has one daughter, Tanya. She immigrated tothe United States with her parents in 1956, and they settled in New Jersey,where she had most of her early schooling. Cofer learned English to "helpher Spanish speaking mother run the household and make important decisions"("Hispanic Writers" 165), and came to love the language and its power("Hispanic Writers" 165). In 1974, she received her B.A. in English fromAugusta College, and in 1977 went on to receive her M.A. in English fromFlorida Atlantic University, then complete some graduate work at OxfordUniversity (Editors). Cofer's background is in teaching, and that is whereshe began her career, and where she continues it today. She wrote poetry at first, and wrote extensively about the problemsand paradoxes facing Latina women. She notes that her own world is firmlyrooted in two distinct cultures. "I write in English," she muses, "yet Iwrite obsessively about my Puerto Rican experience . . . . That is how mypsyche works. I am a composite of two worlds" ("Hispanic Writers"). Wh
Always, family is woven with culture, beautiful language,and great attention to detail to produce pieces that not only sound elegantwhen read out loud or silently, but paint vivid word pictures of two verydifferent cultures attempting to merge and flourish. The poem uses a culturalmyth about how to "get a baby" that includes wading into the ocean waistdeep, and then making love. Onebiographer notes, "Her lectures frequently focus on diversity in Americanart and culture," (Abbe) a topic that emerges repeatedly in her poetry suchas "Common Ground. Critic Shuman goes on to point outCofer's settings are often "parochial" but her works "point to universaltruths that are the marks of serious and significant literature" (Shuman457). She also frequently teaches at writers' workshops. "How to Get a Baby" is a magical poem that blends modern day romancewith cultural beliefs of the past. She has written several books, including collections of herpoetry, including "The Year of Our Revolution: New and Selected Stories andPoems" (1998), "The Latin Deli: Prose & Poetry" (1993), "Terms of Survival"(1989), "Reaching for the Mainland" (1987), and "Latin Women Pray" (1980). She writes poetry, essays, novels, and contributes toanthologies. Shenotes, "'My father could never resolve the fact that he could only be happyon the island but needed to be in the United States to ensure that hischildren had a future. Justas she continues to write, others continue to scrutinize and value herwork. The poem, written in an open form, usestiny one or two word lines to create a visual image in the poem, somewhatlike the tide rising and receding on a beach. (Ocasio, "Puerto Rican" 48)" (Faymonville). "The Year of OurRevolution" won the Paterson Book Prize given by the Poetry Center atPassaic County Community College, and "The Latin Deli" won the AnisfieldWolf Book Award (Editors).
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