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UGA's Judith Ortiz-Cofer: A Poet Of Many Places
04/01/2008 It’s mid-afternoon on a rainy, cold Tuesday and dozens of students are packed wall-to-wall in a classroom in Park Hall, hours after most classes have ended. Homework lies open and undone in their laps, their attention diverted. Every eye in the room is focused on the afternoon’s featured speaker: Professor Judith Ortiz-Cofer. As Ortiz-Cofer reads excerpts from her works, including The Line of the Sun and Silent Dancing, the words spring to life with the passion and force that only a natural poet could bestow on them. Ortiz-Cofer is currently the Regents' and Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Georgia. Her essays, poems, short stories and novels have been featured in numerous anthologies and received dozens of awards and are now taught in classrooms all over the country, including those in the Spanish and English departments at UGA. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Patterson, N.J. before moving to Augusta, Ga., Ortiz-Cofer received her B.A. in English from Augusta College and her M.A. from Florida Atlantic University. She has been teaching at UGA since 1984 and now lives in Athens and Louisville, Ga. Her first floor room is just as vibrant as its occupant. Painted a bright yellow, its shelves and desks are covered with papers, knick-knacks and, of course, dozens of books. While distinguished writers like Virginia Woolf and Italo Calvino would stand out on any bookshelf, it is her own works which grab all the attention here. An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio, which was named a Best Book of the Year in 1996 by the American Library Association, stands alongside The Meaning of Consuelo, one of two winners of the Americas Award in 2003 which was placed on New York Public Library’s “Books for the Teen Age 2004 List.” The Latin Deli, recipient of the Anisfield Wolf Book Award and Silent Dancing, a PEN/Martha Albrand Special Citation in non-fiction award-winner are also prominent. Paintings and photographs decorate the walls, turning this small corner of Park Hall into a studio designed to provide a haven of relaxation for the often overworked professor. Seeing Ortiz-Cofer behind her desk is something like a “magic-eye” puzzle. All the distractions – the paint, the books, the rugs – cannot force you to look anywhere but at her. She speaks as if telling a story, even if its just to explain why she’s a few minutes late. Every statement feels as if it is intended specifically for who she’s speaking to, everything is personal and important. Nearly 10 minutes after I first sat down with Ortiz-Cofer, I looked down, finally noticing the writing on the hand-painted rocking chair set up for receiving guests. “What exactly am I sitting on?” I ask. “My poem!” she responds, as she tells me how her fellow faculty members had the chair painted black and red as a gift when she received the Franklin Chair. The chair represents what Ortiz-Cofer considers one of her greatest rewards: the respect of her fellow instructors. Dr. Chanette Romero, a specialist in ethnic literature, considers Ortiz-Cofer’s presence as a major reason to come to UGA. “I was immediately excited about the prospect of working with her and getting to know her better,” Romero says. “Her presence on the faculty here improves our national reputation as a school invested both in top-notch writing and multicultural perspectives.” But where exactly does she get her ideas? The poet-professor draws inspiration from everything that surrounds her, from a sign seen while driving around Athens to the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe has inspired an Ortiz-Cofer work. She sites Virginia Woolf’s essays and Francisco Goya’s paintings as specific professional inspirations. Through it all, she stays true to her roots. Ortiz-Cofer’s works meld English and Spanish and are strongly influenced by traditional oral storytelling, which can be traced back to her grandmother, who Oritz-Cofer consistently names as her major inspiration in interviews and introductions. They explore her lifelong process of balancing both of her cultures and all the tribulations and empowerment inherent in both. With her writing, Ortiz-Cofer makes the reader a part of her experiences. While her work most often deals with issues of immigrants, it is not merely a voice for them. Romero, who taught Ortiz-Cofer’s work before coming to teach at UGA, believes her work “is so clear and insightful, it helps you consider the often conflicted relationship between parents and children, the role of women in the U.S., marriage and fidelity, the importance of writing and reading, the list could go on and on.” “Do not write if you can imagine yourself doing anything else,” she advises. Instead of an occupation, it must be a vocation. For her, that means waking up every morning at 5 a.m. for private writing time. She doesn’t mind the loss of sleep, however, since she feels she needs to do it. Her mind is always swimming with ideas – so much so that she keeps 3 x 5 cards on her at all times. She writes to “get [thoughts] out of my head,” she says. She has been rewarded for all her hard work. Her awards sheet is a short story in itself, including appointments as Vanderbilt University’s Visiting Writer in Residence in 2001, the Christ-Janner Award in Creative Research from the University of Georgia in 1998 and Visiting King/Chavez/Parks Professor at the University of Michigan in 1991, to name a few. Awards have never been her focus, though. Awards are “meaningful, but I don’t dwell on them,” Ortiz-Cofer says. “Always think of the next one. You can’t be sure it will be well received.” For now, the “next one” is Peach Pit Corazón, her first to discuss life in Georgia, which will explore at what point one considers themselves to be “at home.” Through all her success, however, Ortiz-Cofer has remained an approachable mentor for both her students and her colleagues. Teaching is always her life’s work. Her creative writing classes are among the most popular in the department, as they offer not only the instruction of a distinguished writer, but always include a little something extra. Last year, Ortiz took her students to visual artist Art Rosenbaum's private studio downtown. She instructed them to choose a piece that inspired them and write a creative piece about it. The project was so successful Ortiz-Cofer had decided to do it again. Students will visit the studio at the end of March and will read their works in an open reception dedicated to the artist on April 23. Amy Thomson, a student of Ortiz-Cofer’s last year, is helping her coordinate this year’s project. For Thomson, her experience last year “opened up my imagination as a writer, stretching my comfort zone and allowing me to grow artistically.” Taking advantage of what UGA and Athens have to offer is something Ortiz-Cofer touts. Her advice to writers, in and out of the English department is simple: commitment. “Time is needed everyday,” she advises. “Get up and write everyday. Read writers you admire, go to museums and concerts and go to readings, especially those here at UGA.” One of those readings that might inspire future writers, she suggests, is The Cave Canem: Black Poets Lean South symposium, of which she is a co-sponsor. Cave Canem is the first artists' collective and residency program founded for contemporary African American writers. Opening night readings will be April 2 at Ciné, featuring former UGA creative writing student Sean Hill. Readings will continue all day April 3 at the University Chapel. The importance of the symposium, according to Ortiz-Cofer, was best put by Dr. McCaskill of the English Department, who will also be featured in the symposium: The symposium “emphasizes southern African-American writers’ contributions to the growth and influence of contemporary Multicultural American Literature, and we are confident that our selection of prestigious Cave Canem artists will attract an excited audience from the university, as well as Athens and Atlanta communities and schools.” Comments [post a comment]
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Weather: Fair, 61°
Weather: Fair, 61°
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