J. California Cooper’s Followers (608)

J. California Cooper

Born

in Berkeley, California, The United States

November 10, 1931

Died

September 20, 2014

Genre

African American, Fiction, Short Stories

edit data

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

Combine Editions
J. California Cooper’s books

Average rating: 4.41 · 20,973 ratings · 1,119 reviews · 25 distinct works • Similar authors

	In Search of Satisfaction 4.46 avg rating — 3,293 ratings — published 1994 — 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
	Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime: Stories 4.51 avg rating — 2,554 ratings — published 1995 — 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
	Family 4.42 avg rating — 2,474 ratings — published 1990 — 15 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 4.52 avg rating — 1,698 ratings — published 1987 — 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
	Homemade Love 4.49 avg rating — 1,702 ratings — published 1986 — 12 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 3.99 avg rating — 1,878 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	The Wake of the Wind 4.47 avg rating — 1,565 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
	Some People, Some Other Place 4.39 avg rating — 1,199 ratings — published 2004 — 7 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 4.53 avg rating — 1,141 ratings — published 1984 — 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 4.53 avg rating — 1,128 ratings — published 1991 — 7 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

More books by J. California Cooper…

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

270 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

33 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

26 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%

Terry McMillan

0 votes 0.0%

Victoria Christopher Murray

0 votes 0.0%

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

0 votes 0.0%

Eric Jerome Dickey

0 votes 0.0%

Tiffany L. Warren

0 votes 0.0%

Carl Weber

0 votes 0.0%

Pearl Cleage

0 votes 0.0%

J. California Cooper

0 votes 0.0%

Mary B Morrison

0 votes 0.0%

2 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Next Best Boo...: January's Group Reads Are.....	91	501	Jan 12, 2010 07:43AM
Chicks On Lit: Black History Month Recommendations?	21	80	Apr 17, 2011 12:25PM
Love Or Leave It:...: Authors That Need to Be More Famous	16	49	Jan 07, 2012 06:54AM
The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2012: Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2321	726	Dec 28, 2012 03:29PM
Chicks On Lit: Title and Author Game	4054	1726	Apr 16, 2013 09:48AM
The Next Best Boo...: The Title Game	20238	14428	May 30, 2013 12:53PM
Around the World ...: Oklahoma	4	126	Aug 11, 2013 08:21AM
The Next Best Boo...: Strong Independent Female Characters?	94	2441	Sep 09, 2013 03:39AM
2023 Reading Chal...: April 2014 Group Read Nominations	19	165	Feb 26, 2014 12:02AM

More…