By Cassandra Hardman, Staff Writer

Published in print Apr. 15, 2015

At 19, most teenagers are still trying figuring out what they what to do in life and just want to have fun. But one teenager was busy looking for the perfect cover for her upcoming book. UNC-Greensboro English major Aja Cooper says she always knew she was going to be a writer.

“I knew when I first started writing that I was going to be a writer,” she explained. “I didn’t know what kind of writer but I knew that I was going to be writing for the rest of my life.”

Growing up in Jacksonville, N.C., Aja says her mother would always make her journal during the summer months. “My mother was a teacher, and she had seen so many kids who would fall behind during the summer because they would stop learning – they weren’t reading and writing,” she said. Every day Aja would have to write down what she did that day.

It wasn’t until the age of 12 that she began to take her writing seriously. She wrote poems and would share them with others. “I wanted to be the voice for those girls who don’t think they’re beautiful or good enough for this or that,” she said. When writing her poems Aja says she tries to be that voice for those girls who don’t think they have one; she tries to be relatable.

To Aja, it wasn’t just reaching out to teenagers in her writing; it had become bigger than that. Women older than her with twice her experience were approaching her and sharing their stories. Her poems were speaking to them; she realized then that everything she wrote had to have a purpose.  “Everyone was telling me I should write a book. It was a long time coming,” she explained.

A friend soon put her in connection with a publisher and over a course of a few months they worked on her book via email. Before she knew it she had become a published author. “Life On Paper” is a book of Aja’s poems that she wrote through high school and her freshman year of college.

Aja named two poems from her book that she says are most important: “Death Wish” is a spiritual poem about being a Christian and doing what you’re supposed to do, but still having the temptations to do what others are doing; and “In Due Time” was written as a healing process from a high school relationship she was still trying to grow past. As Aja continues to grow each year and experience more things in life, it inspires her to write about those things.

Aja says there was no specific reason why she picked UNCG, but when she began to take classes she learned things about herself and her writing. She took classes in journalism but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. However, through a Neo-Black Society group, Writer’s Ink, she discovered a new love for spoken word: being on a slam team.

“I had never done anything like it before. I told the team to go ahead without me because if I got booed I was going to cry,” she said.  She shared her fears of participating in the slam, but she still competed, going on to achieve an almost perfect score and advancing to the next round with her team. They continued on to win, and are now undefeated. Now, as a senior, Aja says that she has begun to find interest in screenplays, and after graduation she plans to expand her experience in writing for the screen.

Aja is currently selling “Life on Paper” on campus at the Spartan Trader and on Amazon; however she recommends buying a signed copy from her personally. Those interested can also watch videos on YouTube that feature poems from her book, including “Death Wish” and “In Due Time.” Her website is http://www.ajacooper.com.