Lunch & Learn: Folktales from Puerto Rico @ Cartersville Library

Description

The Cartersville Library is thrilled to welcome Rafael Ocasio from Agnes Scott College for a Lunch and Learn on the Puerto Rican folktales written by late Latinx writer, Judith Ortez Cofer.

Born in Puerto Rico, Judith Ortiz Cofer (1952-2016) was among the first Latino writers published by university and mainstream publishing houses, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 1989. In 2010 Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers’ Hall of Fame. Until her retirement in 2013, Ortiz Cofer was the Franklin Professor of English and creative writing at the University of Georgia. 

At the time of her death, Ortiz Cofer had been transcribing Puerto Rican folktales, in a method that she described as “a translation of fábulas criollas with lots of poetic license involved.” These creole fables, which are still commonly known throughout the island, she had heard from her grandmother, who frequently used them as teaching tools addressing women and girl family members. 

This presentation highlights key elements of Ortiz Cofer’s creole fables, including important figures, such as the Puerto Rican version of Cinderella, that become her favorite characters. Excerpts from selected stories will also be read.