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J. California Cooper

Born

in Berkeley, California, The United States

November 10, 1931

Died

September 20, 2014

Genre

African American, Fiction

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J. California Cooper first found acclaim as a playwright. The author of seventeen plays, she was named Black Playwright of the Year in 1978. It was through her work in the theater that she caught the attention of acclaimed poet and novelist Alice Walker. Encouraged by Walker to turn her popular storytelling skills to fiction, Cooper wrote her first collection of short stories, A Piece of Mine, in 1984. Called "rich in wisdom and insight" and "a book that's worth reading," A Piece of Mine introduced Cooper's trademark style: her intimate and energetic narration, sympathetic yet sometimes troubled characters, and the profound moral messages that underlie seemingly simple stories. Two more story collections followed on the heels of A Piece of ...more

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J. California Cooper’s books

Average rating: 4.4 · 19,242 ratings · 942 reviews · 22 distinct works • Similar authors

	In Search of Satisfaction 4.45 avg rating — 3,105 ratings — published 1994 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime: Stories 4.51 avg rating — 2,425 ratings — published 1995 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Family 4.40 avg rating — 2,143 ratings — published 1990 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Some Soul to Keep 4.51 avg rating — 1,590 ratings — published 1987 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Homemade Love 4.49 avg rating — 1,524 ratings — published 1986 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wake of the Wind 4.46 avg rating — 1,469 ratings — published 1998 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life Is Short But Wide 3.97 avg rating — 1,668 ratings — published 2009 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Matter Is Life 4.52 avg rating — 1,054 ratings — published 1991 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Some People, Some Other Place 4.38 avg rating — 1,123 ratings — published 2004 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Piece of Mine: Stories 4.51 avg rating — 1,010 ratings — published 1984 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by J. California Cooper

“Love entered in my heart one day
A sad, unwelcome guest.
But when it begged that it might stay
I let it stay and rest

It broke my nights with sorrowing
It filled my heart with fears
And, when my soul was prone to sing,
It filled my eyes with tears.

But...now that it has gone its way,
I miss the dear ole pain.
And, sometimes, in the night I pray
That Love might come again.”
― J. California Cooper

tags: heartache, love

262 likes

“I was foolish because I believed in you. You are a fool because you believe in yourself!”
― J. California Cooper, In Search of Satisfaction

31 likes

“Don’t bury it, use it. Don’t keep it in, give it away. Don’t turn that love in, turn that love out.”
― J. California Cooper, Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime: Stories

tags: love-quotes

23 likes

See all J. California Cooper's quotes »

Polls

For suggestions for books: Which author would you most likely to purchase without reading a book synopsis or attending a booking signing?

Kimberla Lawson Roby

1 vote 50.0%

Naleighna Kai

1 vote 50.0%

Alice Walker

0 votes 0.0%

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

0 votes 0.0%

Eric Jerome Dickey

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Tiffany L. Warren

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Victoria Christopher Murray

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Carl Weber

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Pearl Cleage

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J. California Cooper

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Terry McMillan

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Mary B Morrison

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2 total votes

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