Judith Ortiz Cofer was a critically acclaimed and widely published poet, novelist, and essayist who knew that "words have the power to transform you and give you the power to shape your life. The minute you open your mouth, you have introduced yourself." She wrote extensively about the experience of being Puerto Rican and her identity as a woman and writer in the U.S. She was the lauded Regents and Franklin Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Georgia where she taught literature and creative writing. Learn more about her life and works at http: //judithortizcofer.english.uga.edu.