George Cooper: The Key West Literary Pantheon at the Tropic Cinema

416 Eaton Street,Key West FL 33040

17 January, 2022

Description

George Cooper and Judy Blume founded Books & Books @ The Studios in 2016, and was named an “Honorary Conch" for his support of the arts. George Cooper has had a variety of careers. He spent most of his first twenty-five adult years as a law professor at Columbia University, and as a civil rights lawyer during the 1960-70 heyday of that reform movement. But a wanderer at heart, he often strayed from the career straight-and-narrow. After finishing law school, he first spent a year traveling in Europe, India and East Africa before commencing legal work. He holds a Certificate in Celestial Navigation from the Hayden Planetarium and has navigated small boats across big oceans, sometimes solo. For a time in the 1990’s he turned to non-fiction writing, and published two deeply researched historic true crime stories, garnering praise like “vivid personalities become the basis of a near-operatic, true-life tale… handled with Victorian delicacy” (New York Times). Since 2000, he has devoted himself to non-profit arts projects. He was deeply involved in establishing the Tropic Cinema, for which he served as founding Chairman, Treasurer and general overseer. In 2016, with his wife Judy Blume, he helped found Books & Books at The Studios, where you can find copies of his now out-of-print books. He’s also known to family and friends as the oldest IT guy around. His life motto, when faced with difficulty, is “turn it off and turn it on again.” Mr. Cooper has been ensconced (or is it “enconched”) in Key West with his wife for the past twenty-five years, and he has been officially named by the City and County as an “Honorary Conch and Citizen of the Florida Keys” for his support of the arts. Looking at this bio, you might agree that he fits in here. The Key West Literary Pantheon is his latest contribution. To keep everyone safe, we’ll adhere to the Tropic’s Covid-19 protocols, including masks and a reduction in available seats. You can find their latest guidelines here. organizer description text