Reaching for the Mainland - The Birthplace and Selected New Poems - Judith Ortiz Cofer

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

Reaching for the Mainland and Selected New Poems by Judith Ortiz Cofer presents a collection of Puerto Rican women’s poetry centered on memory, identity, and family inheritance. The contents move through themes such as origins and birthplace, the presence of mothers and abuelas, spiritual reflection, and the emotional afterlives of love and loss. Poems and sections foreground lived experiences on the island and in the diaspora, weaving vivid scenes with contemplative language and historical echoes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages92

Reading Time2 h 22 min

AccessFree to download

Reaching for the Mainland

Contents

Selected New Poems

REACHINGFOR THEMAINLAND &SELECTED NEW POEMS力JUDITH ORTIZ COFER Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2010 http://www.archive.org/details/reachingformainl00orti REACHING FOR THEMAINLAND &SELECTED NEW POEMS DISCARDED BY LAFAYETTE PUBLIC LBRARY Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe General EditorGary D.Keller Managing EditorKaren S.Van Hooft Associate Editors Ann Waggoner AkenTheresa Hannon Assistant EditorLinda St.George Thurston Editorial Board Juan GoytisoloFrancisco JiménezEduardo RiveraMario Vargas Llosa Address:Bilingual Press Hispanic Research CenterArizona State UniversityP.O.Box 872702 Tempe,Arizona 85287-2702(602)965-3867 REACHING FOR THEMAINLAND &SELECTED NEW POEMS JUDITH ORTIZ COFER Bilingual Press/Editorial BilingüeTEMPE,ARIZONA ◎ 1995 by Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe All nights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced in any mannerwithout permission in writing,except in the case of brief quotations embodied incritical articles and reviews. ISBN 0-927534-55-X # Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ortiz Cofer,Judith,1952- Reaching for the mainland and selected new poems/by Judith OrtizCofer. p.cm. ISBN 0-927534-55-X(pbk.:alk.paper) 1.Puerto Rican women-Poetry.2.Puerto Ricans-Poetry. 3.Puerto Rico-Poetry. 1.Title.PS3565.R7737R431995811'.54-dc20 95.31050 CIP PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Cover design by Bidlack Creative ServicesBack cover photo by John Cofer Acknowledgments The author wishes to express her gratitude to the Florida Fine Arts Council,Division of Cultural Affairs,for a fellowship that allowed her to finish this book. Acknowledgment is made to the following publications in which some of thepoems included in Reaching for the Mainland first appeared: Affinities:"Walking to Church,"and “Grace Stands in Line for Saturday Con-fession,"in Vol.3,No.1(1980);The Florida Arts Gazette:“Baptism at La Misión,"in Vol.3,Issue 9(1980);Hispanics in the United States:An Anthology of CreativeLiterature,eds.Gary Keller and Francisco Jiménez(Ypsilanti,Ml:Bilingual Press,1980):“My Father in the Navy,"and “En mis ojos no hay dias”;Kalliope:"LessonOne:I Would Sing,"in Vol.4,No.3(1982);Kansas Quarterly:“To My Brother,Lately Missed,"and "The Way My Mother Walked,"in Vol.15,No.1(1983);TheLouisville Review:"Housepainter,"in No.12(1982);New Collage:“She Has Been aLong Time Dying,"in Vol.14,No.2(1983);New Letters:“Room at the Empire,"in Vol.50,No.1(1983). Acknowledgments continue on page 77. CONTENTS Reaching for the Mainland The Birthplace 2They Say3The Woman Who Was Left at the Altar5Housepainter6La tristeza7Moonlight Performance8On the Island I Have Seen9The Mule10The Man Who Lost His Handwriting11Woman Watching Sunset12Grace Stands in Line for Saturday Confession13What the Gypsy Said to Her Children14Pueblo Waking15Visiting La Abuela16The Gusano of Puerto Rico17The Fruit Vendor18The Source19Letter from a Caribbean Island20The Birthplace21The Crossing22Mother Dancing in the Dark23Crossings24My Father in the Navy25Arrival26Latin Women Pray27The Way My Mother Walked28Schoolyard Magic29Claims30A Photograph of Mother at Fifteen Holding Me31Walking to Church32“En mis ojos no hay dias”33Memory of La Abuela35 Meditation on My Hands36She Has Been a Long Time Dying37Treasure38The Habit of Movement39The Other40Room at the Empire41To My Brother,Lately Missed42Lost Angels43Closed Casket44We Are All Carriers45In Yucatán46Returning from the Mayan Ruins48Postcard from a Foreign Country49When You Come to My Funeral50Street People51Because My Mother Burned Her Legsin a Freak Accident52Progress Report to a Dead Father53Baptism at La Misión55Fever56A Poem57A-1-A58The Habit of Movement59Lesson One:I Would Sing60 # Selected New Poems The Dream of BirthThrough Climate ChangesPhotographs of My FatherLetter from Home in SpanishCold as HeavenThe Body KnowsNoche Nueve 63 65 68 70 72 74 75 And the tongue is

FAQs

What is the main subject of the book by Judith Ortiz Cofer?

The book is a poetry collection, combining Reaching for the Mainland with selected new poems by Judith Ortiz Cofer.

Which personal and cultural themes are emphasized in the poem list?

The contents highlight Puerto Rican identity, the roles of women in the family (mother/abuelas), and reflections on origins, loss, and memory.

How is the collection structured according to the table of contents?

It is divided into two major parts: “Reaching for the Mainland” and “Selected New Poems,” with numerous individual poem titles listed under the first section.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore