Literature encapsulates many worlds. It gives us an opportunity to travel to foreign lands, or look again at our daily lives through the spectacles of others.
Reading in the comfort of our own bubble, we can comfortably and safely explore the world through the experience of characters taking risks on our behalf -- not just those of our culture, but also those with vastly differing traditions and lifestyles.
Gems of literature touch us in places that we are not necessarily aware of, reminding us of the world within, and that of the universe outside.
Improvisation in the wayang shadow puppetry or masked theater of Java and Bali are traditionally the medium of social commentary and critique as well as education.
It is these epic nightlong performances to an appreciative public that sits (and often also sleeps) in on these performances that has woven moral fiber into the backbone of society. Growing from roots of understanding, it lends us strength to question dogma, alienation and fear.
Despite a great love of listening to and marveling at the beauty of words, be they poetry or great epics, readers out there have yet to catch up with the hordes who are writing.
Fortunately, a growing number of literary events are responding to this disparity.
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Poetry and storytelling are the abundant crops of the fertile imaginations of Indonesia. The language itself, growing from a lingua franca for trade, tends to become expressive through ellipsis where the spaces between can allude to feelings that speak louder than the words themselves.
We love to play with imagery and the sound of words, often caring more for rhyme than reason.
Due to our longstanding oral traditions, poetry has seeped into the Indonesian psyche. People send poetic short messages to each other on their mobile phones; use riddle and rhyme in daily conversation.
Be it at an Independence Day celebration, a traditional blessing ceremony or a modern wedding, there is bound to be some form of poetry being listened to.
And listening is the operative word. Our oral traditions are strong, writing is catching up, but book sales figures loudly broadcast the fact that not enough people are reading. Discussions and readings are very well attended by people who prefer to listen and ask questions rather than having to read up on a topic.
People who want to be heard by a wider audience are writing and self-publishing. However, very few are actively prepared to read. In fact, very few Indonesians can say they have read a great work of Indonesian literature from cover to cover.
Is this because of the lack of privacy and personal space?
It‘s true that few people have the luxury of being able to create a personal bubble in which to explore new worlds through books. Few want to -- preferring the constant company of TV or radio when live entertainment is unavailable.
There is much audiovisual pollution in the landscape of our lives that makes it difficult to tune out of the babble. Among a people for whom social life is paramount, is solitary reading that incompatible?
For the few who choose to read Indonesian literature, a dynamic world awaits. It is vibrant and polarized; the Indonesian literary scene is full of newcomers challenging the status quo.
The iron curtain of government censorship has lifted. The iron grip of few publishers has loosened. Hundreds of titles are being published each month. The mushrooming publishing houses are building new worlds for your armchair travels.
Buyers beware: Be selective. You‘ve got to shift through a lot of rubbish for the jewels.
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Literary festivals never seem to avoid that particular kind of participant who shows up to have his or her opinions heard without having read anything by the author who is speaker.
After readings by four world-class authors in front of a captivated Jakarta audience last month, a graduate student took to the microphone to share a statement and question that gave me a lot of food for thought:
"I admit I can‘t understand modern literature much when I read it, be it poetry or prose. When read out loud like today, however, it all makes more sense. How about you record the readings and distribute the recordings instead?"
Local events such as the recent festivals in Surabaya and Tasikmalaya are budding throughout the country in celebration of a literary freedom that is the envy of South East Asia.
Most focus on readings to introduce works of literature. Few manage to translate this into sales. Our participant has a point, but would talking books sell any better?
And despite travel warnings, Indonesia continues to lure international stars to festivals such as last month‘s Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale and this month‘s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF).
One of the many things UWRF has right in its formulae is implicit in the name: It is also a celebration of the reader. Many aspire to be great writers. I for one aspire to be a great reader.
I believe that my taste for reading matter and the way I vote with my wallet in buying not just one copy of a book I consider good -- but verging on the dozen to dish out to friends -- will help establish the classics for the not so-distant future.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (1 Oktober 2007)
