J California Cooper

J. California Cooper (1931–2014) was an acclaimed American playwright, novelist, and short story writer known for her folksy, first-person narratives exploring the lives of African American women with humor, honesty, and courage. She authored 17 plays, including Strangers which earned her Black Playwright of the Year in 1978, and transitioned to fiction encouraged by Alice Walker, publishing her debut short story collection A Piece of Mine in 1984. Her works, such as the American Book Award-winning Homemade Love (1986) and novels like Family (1991), garnered awards including the James Baldwin Writing Award and Literary Lion Award.