Description: In his poems and essays, Cooper shares his deeply personal feelings about life events. In so doing, he encourages the reader to reflect on their own emotional experiences.
Brief description: Cooper was a registered nurse and worked for thirty-two years in Virginia State mental health institutions. Now retired, he has fashioned a comfortable existence as a recluse. He enjoys doing the necessary manual tasks on his isolated lot, which sits far away on a hidden mountaintop. He spends the remainder of his time in deep contemplation as he tries to understand, as many have before him, the mystery of life and the internal workings and contradictions of the human species. From this study, he hopes to come to terms with himself as one of these flawed creatures.