About the author
Photo Credit: Ian Weston
Biography
James Fennimore Cooper (April 1, 1982) was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma where his mother, a retired registered nurse, still lives. He received a bachelor's degree in Film Studies with a minor in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma. He began his teaching career at Oklahoma State University as a graduate assistant, where the university’s English Department recognized him for Teaching Excellence in Composition. He holds an MA in English at OSU and Creative Writing MFA from Oklahoma City University. Currently, he teaches as OCU’s English Department Artist in Residence—where he’s taught courses on writing and horror, focusing particularly the slasher and occult subgenres—and resides in OKC’s historic Paseo Arts District with his cat, Marion.
Accomplishments
While pursuing an MA in English at Oklahoma State University, Cooper received an award from The Society of Professional Journalists for his column in OSU’s O’Collegian concerning the need for federal hate crimes legislation. Cooper’s essay on the 2013 tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma, “An Oklahoma Perspective on Tornado Alley,” appeared in the Huffington Post. The Oklahoma Gazette published Cooper’s 2011 two-part cover story on the history of OKC’s LGBTQ community, “From Closet to Community.” Advocate Magazine named Cooper one of its June 2020 “Champions of Pride.” The New York Times profiled his 2019 campaign.
OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences awarded him its Rising Star Award in 2021; the same year, he was Keynote Speaker for University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts Student Symposium.
Cooper won re-election on Valentine’s Day February 2023 to a second term with more votes during a traditional election than any OKC council candidate in, at least, 14 years.
Writing
—“From Closet to Community,” Oklahoma Gazette, 2011
Two-part cover story on the history of OKC’s LGBTQ community
—“An Oklahoma Perspective on Tornado Alley,” Huffington Post, 2013
Essay on the 2013 tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma
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