Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer

by Judith Ortiz Cofer

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Poetry, Memoir, Latinx, Read For School

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Judith Ortiz Cofer (born in 1952) is a Puerto Rican author. Her work spans a range of literary genres including poetry, short stories, autobiography, essays, and young-adult fiction.

Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, on February 24, 1952. She moved to Paterson, New Jersey with her family in 1956. They often made back-and-forth trips between Paterson and Hormigueros. In 1967, her family moved to Augusta, Georgia, where she attended Butler High School. Ortiz Cofer received a B.A. in English from Augusta College, and later an M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University.

Ortiz Cofer's work can largely be classified as creative nonfiction. Her narrative self is strongly influenced by oral storytelling, which was inspired by her grandmother, an able storyteller in the tradition of teaching through storytelling among Puerto Rican women. Ortiz Cofer's autobiographical work often focuses on her attempts at negotiating her life between two cultures, American and Puerto Rican, and how this process informs her sensibilities as a writer. Her work also explores such subjects as racism and sexism in American culture, machismo and female empowerment in Puerto Rican culture, and the challenges diasporic immigrants face in a new culture. Among Ortiz Cofer's more well known essays are "The Story of My Body" and "The Myth of the Latin Woman," both reprinted in The Latin Deli.

In 1984, Ortiz Cofer joined the faculty of the University of Georgia, where she is currently Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing. In April 2010, Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.

In 1994, she became the first Hispanic to win the O. Henry Prize for her story “The Latin Deli”. In 1996, Ortiz Cofer and illustrator Susan Guevara became the first recipients of the Pura Belpre Award for Hispanic children’s literature.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the poems and I loved the content. Her prosaic style felt off beat at moments but I always appreciate what she has to say. The title chapter as well as the one titled "sleep with one eye open," are incredible. She draws on the earlier arguments of feminist thinkers/artists who defend the need for women to have their own space to create. The difference in her text, however, is that her relationships complement that space she creates, they are not in the way of it because of how those relationships, in different ways, encouraged her to be creative.

[Bailey Frederking · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing read filled with some pages I really want to spend time within this summer. I want to learn more from her craft of story-telling and her blend of of poetry and prose.

This books reminded me why I write and why I never want to stop writing.

[Sylvia Avalos · Rating 4 out of 5]

How a bicultural woman became a writer, embraced her creativity. I needed to hear this.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly adored the first half of this book and really liked the second half, settling me somewhere in the four star range. I feel like this is a book that will take on more meaning for me if I revisit in the future, picking up new things not only about Cofer's journey to becoming a writer, but as I continue on my own journey as a content creator. I also think this would be interesting to revisit having read more of Cofer's work. This is my first book by her and it gives such insight to who she is as an author, it would be lovely to pair that with more of her works.

As I said, my favorite part came at the beginning of the book when she spoke in essays about "how" she became a writer. The stories were so vivid and charming and really made a knot of feelings bloom in my stomach as she mentioned the outlandish nun and the uncle who would only pass by full of stories hiding struggles. Each essay was so seamlessly connected by a thread. I really felt like I saw her becoming a writer, in each of those people she met and each of those experiences that pushed her into a love of reading, writing and language.

The second half of the book focuses more heavily on her experiences as a Latina and female writer and the how and why that's shaped her. Still very interesting but it lost some of the prose style. I did like reading about her experiences in Puerto Rico and some of the folklore there.

My favorite thing within these pages though was Cofer's poem Latin Women Pray. What a sucker punch to the feels.

Really easy quick read I'm putting in with my collection of creative motivation.

[Jennifer Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my self-designed continuing study of How to Be a (Woman) Writer, Woman in Front of the Sun stands out to me as a source of wealth in my education. This short book of essays offers valuable lessons - how to carve out time and space for writing, how to understand profession vs. vocation, how to own your love of English despite the language's colonial legacy, and, perhaps most importantly, how to make a to-go-anywhere writing space when you are a mother with young children.
Ortiz Cofer is perhaps my favorite writer, beloved by me for her books Silent Dancing and An Island Like You. In Woman in Front of the Sun, she offers up two other possible mentors - Flannery O'Connor and Alice Walker, whose books I have placed on hold at my local library branch. Ortiz Cofer has fanned the flames for my own writing on more than one occasion, and her belief in Impossible Dreams is nothing less than contagious.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally do not like essays, and hate essay collections, because I teach and have to teach a lot of essays and grade even worse essays. This book though. Oh, this book is wonderful! Cofer's use of language is hypnotic. She is able to make phrases that catch the reader of guard and make them pay attention to what she has to say. And what she has to say is of vital importance to anyone wanting to be a writer, no matter their age, ethnicity, or sex. She speaks with passion about her art. She breaks the reader's heart in "The Gift of a Cuento." You can feel her passion for her art even when she was a young woman, and also as a pseudo-immigrant. In fact, these come off in every singe essay, but it never gets old or cheesy. I strongly recommend this to anyone who wished to write, or any lover of wit and the English language.

[Julie Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays and poems and reflections on being a female writer of Latina heritage. This contains several anecdotes about finding time for writing and finding the voice, and not making excuses for avoiding the creative opportunities available to you. I felt it was a valuable book, but I didn't personally connect much to it--probably because I haven't had the issues she discusses, so advice on how to combat those issues doesn't speak to me. Really smart little book though.

[Kanyinsola · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a must-read for any aspiring writers (and everyone else too haha); i see it as a textbook embedded with prose for a certain type of creativity, because of the way that it weaves together stories about women who used writing and creativity to create a space for themselves in the world.

[ryo narasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this book but someone took it and never gave it back!!!! whyyyyyyyy!?

[Swankivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice biographical collection of stories about one woman's growth as a writer: Inspiration, culture, roots, and influences, plus what writing means. Quite beautiful.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't identify as much with this book because I'm not a writer, but still enjoyed it. Judith Ortiz Cofer is one of my favorite authors.

[Caleigh Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

— read for intro to women writers (ENG262)

[Melany Chaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent quick read. As a writer and as a Hispanic woman, Cofer sets up so much to dive into.

[Michael]

Sometimes I come to books only after reading an author's obituary--which is sad, I know. Judith Ortiz Cofer was only 64 when she died in December 2016, and when I read about her death, and correspondingly, her LIFE, I raced out and read this book.

It is a little gem, moving between Ortiz Cofer's life in the US and her tug to the island of Puerto Rico. Her mother is a strong character, as is Sister Rosetta who is featured in the first essay and introduced Ortiz Cofer to "the seductive power of language." Her roguish uncle in "The Gift of a Cuento" is also responsible for Ortiz Cofer's awakening to a love of stories.

In the final essay, Ortiz Cofer declares an important truth, especially important in our current political climate: "As I travel around this country I am constantly surprised by the diversity of its people and cultures. It is like a huge, colorful puzzle. And the beauty is in its complexity."
R.I.P. Judith Ortiz Cofer, poet and teacher.