Writing - “But Tell It Slant: From Poetry to Prose and Back Again”
Cofer explains, "as Oscar Wilde said: "All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling." But the point of the exercise is that if it's not a true subject, it will not be made into art. It makes them more conscious of the writing process as one of self-discovery, not merely of self-expression." Poems offer writers the chance to examine their feelings. Exploration of authentic and real-life experiences contributes to the artistic nature of writing. Cofer’s approach in her writing workshops encourages writers to discover their selves in the course of expressing themselves through their writing. Beginner writers who embrace Cofer’s methodology achieve the two-fold objective smoothly by brainstorming ideas using poetry.
The Media and Stereotypes - “The Myth of the Latin Woman”
Cofer observes, “The myth of the Hispanic menial has been sustained by the same media phenomenon that made “Mammy” from Gone with the Wind America’s idea of the black woman for generations: Maria, the housemaid or counter girl, I snow indelibly etched into the national psyche. The big and the little screens have presented us with the picture of the funny Hispanic maid, mispronouncing words and cooking up a spicy storm in a shiny California kitchen.” Citation of the popular show confirms the media’s input in the perpetuation of stereotypes concerning the Latinas and the blacks. The portrayal of characters from these ethnicities may be intended to entertain the masses due to their comic implication, but it hurts the Latinas and blacks in reality. Viewers, especially non-blacks and non-Latinas, form flawed conclusions regarding the minorities based on how they are portrayed in the programs. Consequently, the stereotypes are considered to be traits of all the blacks and Latinas. Perhaps, if the media portrayed them positively, then the stereotypes would not omnipresent.
Prejudice - "The Story of My Body"
The older brother insults Cofer: “hey, kid, what do you think you’re doing!...Don’t come in here unless you gonna buy something. You PR kids put your dirty hands on stuff. You always look dirty. But maybe dirty brown is your natural color.” The insults have overtones of racism. He is not justified in attacking Cofer because she is only admiring Susie. The Italian brother is prejudiced towards the Puerto Rican kids for he mocks their skin colors. He does not consider that Cofer is relatively whiter than her peers. Perhaps, if Cofer were white, and the brothers were cognizant of her race, he would not insult her.
