From a Thousand Forests of Solitude
by Asma Nadia
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Nonfiction
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From a Thousand Forests of Solitude
To Literature for Humanity
chapters
chapter 1:
what a writer can do fo humanity
what a writer can do fo humanity
chapter 1
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updated 05/22/08
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From a Thousand Forests of Solitude
To Literature for Humanity
Asma Nadia
Boundless Solitude
Many writers may agree that writing is a private business, where they form their own lonely world. But as Herman Hesse aptly put it, “Without words, without writing and without books, there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity.” Having been a writer for many years, I could not agree with him more.
Writers, from their journey through a thousand forests of solitude, can create magic. Some of them create magical rooms for their own enjoyment, others create them and welcome anyone to enter and play in them.
Writers, through their works, can inspire the hearts of their readers. The heart is the most tender part of a human being, but it is also the most mysterious and difficult part to reach, or to change. But in the hands of writers, armed with words born of sincerity, this difficult task of changing the heart becomes possible to achieve.
Writers can make a difference in the world through their writing, although of course, this is by no means the only path they can take. Indeed, in many parts of the world, many writers and authors dedicate their thoughts and energy for humanity by, for instance, becoming volunteers to help victims of disasters, both natural and caused by men.
But when a person decides to become a writer, he should do so with the full awareness of the financial implications that comes with this decision. Can a person live from writing alone? This question still has no easy answers, especially in Indonesia.
I have my own observations. Although I have not conducted a systematic research or survey, I believe that contemporary female fiction writers in Indonesia are far luckier than their male counterparts. Books by female writers are more easily absorbed by the market. Is it because women, with all their extraordinary imagination and magical energy, can always transform themselves into a luminous lamp that draws a swarm of moths? Who knows?
In one of our weekly discussions at the Crimson House, where we six writers-in-residence have lived for the past six months, Binlah Sonkalagiri and Surachat Petchleela told me that there was increasing optimism among writers in Thailand that they would be able to make a living from writing. This is good news, which I will convey to my friends back home, because in Indonesia, only a few best-selling writers are able to live comfortably from writing. Others, due to various financial demands, have no choice than to treat writing as a side job.
In all modesty, I must say that I am among the lucky ones. Although what I have achieved so far cannot yet be compared with those of Binlah Sonkalagiri (who I call “Oppa”) and Suratchat Patchelela, according to my Indonesian fellow writers, the royalties I have received have put me among the highest-paid writers in Indonesia. God only knows, but I am among the lucky ones able to make a living from writing, without the need for another job.
Most of my writer-friends have other jobs. Some of them work as teachers, editors, journalists, or translators. Many of them even had to work at menial jobs to support their families. A writer-friend in Pekalongan, Central Java currently makes ends meet as a street-vendor selling chicken noodles, just so that he could keep writing.
Writing is planting in a field where we reap the results when we don’t even realize that harvest time has come. These are the words of another writer-friend of mine, who has to borrow money right and left just to get by.
It is a lonely, somber world for writers. Who could have guessed that out of this somberness, writers are still capable, in the spirit of togetherness, of offering concrete contributions to people in need?
Forum Lingkar Pena (FLP), perhaps the largest writers’ organization in Indonesia, has started a trend where all of its members dedicate their writing for humanity.
FORUM LINGKAR PENA, A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
In Indonesia, FLP is considered a religious literature movement because its members use writing as a means to convey the truth and call others to righteousness. It is easy to find the spirit of humanity and divinity in their works. The path that they have chosen is not a novelty in Indonesia because their predecessors have popularized many essentially similar principles.
Taufik Ismail, a distinguished Indonesian poet known for his social criticism, calls his works Sastra Zikir (literature for the remembrance of God) because he believes literature should remind people of God. Abdul Hadi WM, another famous Indonesian poet, has another term for religiosity and humanity in his poems, i.e. Sufistic Literature, by which he means, “Begin with God, then get closer to man”. Kuntowijoyo, an author who occasionally writes plays, calls it Prophetic Literature or literature that starts from the realm of prophecy, about how virtuous words can free us from oppressors and lead us to transcendence, to a deep relationship with God. M. Fudoli Zaini has his own term for his Islam-themed poems, i.e. literature that is involved with the inner world. Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, who proclaimed himself president of Indonesian poets and is famous for his incantation poems (such as O Amuk, Kapak, etc), calls it Transcendent Literature.
All of the above concepts have the same thread running thorugh them, i.e. closeness to God can bring us closer to our fellow man.
Forum Lingkar Pena, with its religious spirit, has a motto: writing for humanity and literature for humanity. Writing is fighting—fighting for justice, truth, and other virtues that should be defended in life. For when journalism is stifled, when the most poignant facts are buried, then literature, with its flexibility and richness in symbols, can always create room for words.
In Indonesia, for instance, the poet WS Rendra is able to keep speaking out against the corrupt and oppressive government of the New Order regime, because no one can silence an artist from speaking for humanity.
for we are a flowing stream
and you are a heartless stone
so water will erode stone
(WS. Rendra, Sajak Orang Kepanasan)
The development of the FLP community has drawn the attention of many people among the literary community. FLP is considered a phenomenon because, in a relatively short time, the organization has established branches in almost all Indonesian provinces, as well as in other countries. It has recruited around 5,000 members, almost seventy percent of which are women. Among these members, 500 actively write in various mass media. These 500 people strive to guide the other 4500 members to become writers.
For seven years, FLP members, without any institutional sponsors, have published more than 300 books, most of which are serious literary works, young adult fiction, and children’s stories.
FLP’s independence from other institutions has allowed it to write in keeping with the conscience and beliefs of its members.
It is also important to note that FLP has always appreciated the presence and existence of other writers and organizations outside itself, which is why it is often called a soothing community. Koran Tempo, an authoritative media institution in Indonesia, has another name for it--“A Manufacturer of Storytellers”!
LITERATURE FOR HUMANITY MOVEMENT
We call this movement the Love Anthologies. But these Love Anthologies don’t refer to a collection of love stories. It is more than that.
When Helvy Tiana Rosa, the co-founder and the first General Chairman of Forum Lingkar Pena, saw the growing number of street urchins all over Jakarta, she collaborated with fellow writer Gola Gong and donated half the royalties of their book, Nyanyian Perjalanan (Syaamil, 2000), for humanity.
When women writers from FLP Aceh saw their land destroyed by military operations, they collaborated on a book, Doa untuk Sebuah Negeri (Syaamil, 2000). All the royalties from the book was donated to social activities and to widows of the victims of military operations under the New Order government.
When we from FLP heard that Pipiet Senja, a prolific writer who suffered from thalassemia, was undergoing a spleen operation, we wondered: what did we have to offer when we ourselves were only penniless writers? But we realized the power that can result from the spirit of togetherness, so each of us contributed one short story to the another love anthology: Ketika Duka Tersenyum (FBA Press, 2001). In addition, the publisher was good enough to make the book’s royalty payments in advance, all of which was given to Pipiet Senja, to help ease the life struggles she was facing.
Collaborating to create love anthologies, then, has become FLP’s answer to writers’ difficulties in many other occasions.
When Ibnu HS was the head of FLP West Borneo, he conveyed to us the news that Yusakh Ananda, a nationally-recognized author who had received praise from distinguished literary critic HB Jassin in the 1950s, now lives in poverty. Yusakh Ananda, who was more than 65 years old, must make ends meet by selling ice in front of a state elementary school in Pontianak. We felt a wrenching pain when we heard about it. Yusakh Ananda was a famous author; doesn't anyone care about him? This pain we felt resulted in another love anthology: Cermin dan Malam Ganjil. As in the previous love anthologies, the royalty for this book was paid in advance, and was given to Yusakh Ananda through Ibnu HS in Pontianak, to be used as business capital. Although the amount of the royalty itself may not be so large, there is always a sense of happiness in the hearts of FLP writers each time we publish another love anthology.
When the situation in Palestine worsened, FLP writers from many cities, including a member in Egypt, presented the anthology Merah di Jenin (FBA Press). The entire royalty was paid in advance and 8 million rupiahs was donated through Mer-C. A non-profit humanitarian organization, Mer-C is led by Dr. Jose Rizal Suriadji and usually helps out by providing aid to victims of disasters and riots in the form of small-scale operations, medicinal supplies, and other forms of medical aid.
The love anthology eventually has become a tradition in Forum Lingkar Pena. Love and concern for humanity becomes the impetus for its members to donate to those in need. And when resources are limited, we do not donate our money. Instead, we donate our works.
This tradition allows FLP not only to make a difference in the lives of people outside its community, it also helps its own members. One such case was after the death of Agustrijanto’s wife. Agustrijanto is a talented young author from FLP Bandung, and when the sad news of his wife’s departure reached our ears, we knew we had to help. His wife’s death left not only a motherless child, but also a deep wound. There was also the hospital bill that had to be paid immediately if he was to take his child home. On their own initiative, friends from FLP contributed dozens of their short stories to the anthology Sahabat Pelangi (Lingkar Pena, 2004) to cover the hospital bill.
It would be hard to find this kind of love and concern in other writers’ organizations, according to Pipiet Senja.
The togetherness and humanitarian spirit among FLP writers faced another challenge when the 2004 tsunami tragedy occured. FLP friends published five love anthologies in collaboration with several publishers. From January to February 2006, the royalty of 40 million rupiahs was immediately donated to victims of the Aceh tsunami, even though the anthologies themselves were published months after. The five anthologies include Perempuan Bermata Lembut (FBA Press), Addicted to U (Lingkar Pena Publishing House), Jendela Cinta (Gema Insani Press), Menyisir Rindu (Cakrawala), and Surat untuk Abang (Senayan Abadi).
FLP Aceh also published its own love anthology, Hati yang Terpisah (Syaamil). What is unique about this book is that it consists of works written by six FLP Aceh members before the tsunami happened. Three of these FLP writers died in the tragic disaster.
There have been many other love anthologies after that, such as The Story of Jomblo, Lelaki Semesta, Suami Impian, and Badman Bidin. All four of these were published by Lingkar Pena Publishing House.
It is interesting to note that all of these love anthologies—in any genre, even humorous stories—all carry a message of humanity, without any lecturing, while still paying attention to literary aesthetics. In fact, these love anthologies have led to another form of love from FLP, i.e. the Rumah Cahaya movement (literally, House of Light)--a house for reading and creating. Rumah Cahaya is a library and a study place for poor children and teenagers. We have currently established ten Rumah Cahaya in different locations, albeit in modest conditions: in Penjaringan and Menteng atas (Jakarta), Depok, Pekalongan (Central Java), Bandung (West Java), Jogjakarta, Banda Aceh, Medan (North Sumatera), Bengkulu, Tenggarong (Kalimantan), and the Riau Islands.
A COLLABORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FOR A LOVE ANTHOLOGY
It will be wonderful if we could make several forms of collaboration, in relation to the creation of an International Love Anthology, to be published in several countries. Some writers I know have stated their willingness to contribute their shorts stories in the Literature-for-Humanity movement. In Indonesia, Lingkar Pena Publishing House, where I serve as the manager, would be happy to publish this love anthology.
I hope one day, there will be more and more Love Anthology in this world. Give more chance for writers to contribute more for humanity, and the world.
back to top
To Literature for Humanity
Asma Nadia
Boundless Solitude
Many writers may agree that writing is a private business, where they form their own lonely world. But as Herman Hesse aptly put it, “Without words, without writing and without books, there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity.” Having been a writer for many years, I could not agree with him more.
Writers, from their journey through a thousand forests of solitude, can create magic. Some of them create magical rooms for their own enjoyment, others create them and welcome anyone to enter and play in them.
Writers, through their works, can inspire the hearts of their readers. The heart is the most tender part of a human being, but it is also the most mysterious and difficult part to reach, or to change. But in the hands of writers, armed with words born of sincerity, this difficult task of changing the heart becomes possible to achieve.
Writers can make a difference in the world through their writing, although of course, this is by no means the only path they can take. Indeed, in many parts of the world, many writers and authors dedicate their thoughts and energy for humanity by, for instance, becoming volunteers to help victims of disasters, both natural and caused by men.
But when a person decides to become a writer, he should do so with the full awareness of the financial implications that comes with this decision. Can a person live from writing alone? This question still has no easy answers, especially in Indonesia.
I have my own observations. Although I have not conducted a systematic research or survey, I believe that contemporary female fiction writers in Indonesia are far luckier than their male counterparts. Books by female writers are more easily absorbed by the market. Is it because women, with all their extraordinary imagination and magical energy, can always transform themselves into a luminous lamp that draws a swarm of moths? Who knows?
In one of our weekly discussions at the Crimson House, where we six writers-in-residence have lived for the past six months, Binlah Sonkalagiri and Surachat Petchleela told me that there was increasing optimism among writers in Thailand that they would be able to make a living from writing. This is good news, which I will convey to my friends back home, because in Indonesia, only a few best-selling writers are able to live comfortably from writing. Others, due to various financial demands, have no choice than to treat writing as a side job.
In all modesty, I must say that I am among the lucky ones. Although what I have achieved so far cannot yet be compared with those of Binlah Sonkalagiri (who I call “Oppa”) and Suratchat Patchelela, according to my Indonesian fellow writers, the royalties I have received have put me among the highest-paid writers in Indonesia. God only knows, but I am among the lucky ones able to make a living from writing, without the need for another job.
Most of my writer-friends have other jobs. Some of them work as teachers, editors, journalists, or translators. Many of them even had to work at menial jobs to support their families. A writer-friend in Pekalongan, Central Java currently makes ends meet as a street-vendor selling chicken noodles, just so that he could keep writing.
Writing is planting in a field where we reap the results when we don’t even realize that harvest time has come. These are the words of another writer-friend of mine, who has to borrow money right and left just to get by.
It is a lonely, somber world for writers. Who could have guessed that out of this somberness, writers are still capable, in the spirit of togetherness, of offering concrete contributions to people in need?
Forum Lingkar Pena (FLP), perhaps the largest writers’ organization in Indonesia, has started a trend where all of its members dedicate their writing for humanity.
FORUM LINGKAR PENA, A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
In Indonesia, FLP is considered a religious literature movement because its members use writing as a means to convey the truth and call others to righteousness. It is easy to find the spirit of humanity and divinity in their works. The path that they have chosen is not a novelty in Indonesia because their predecessors have popularized many essentially similar principles.
Taufik Ismail, a distinguished Indonesian poet known for his social criticism, calls his works Sastra Zikir (literature for the remembrance of God) because he believes literature should remind people of God. Abdul Hadi WM, another famous Indonesian poet, has another term for religiosity and humanity in his poems, i.e. Sufistic Literature, by which he means, “Begin with God, then get closer to man”. Kuntowijoyo, an author who occasionally writes plays, calls it Prophetic Literature or literature that starts from the realm of prophecy, about how virtuous words can free us from oppressors and lead us to transcendence, to a deep relationship with God. M. Fudoli Zaini has his own term for his Islam-themed poems, i.e. literature that is involved with the inner world. Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, who proclaimed himself president of Indonesian poets and is famous for his incantation poems (such as O Amuk, Kapak, etc), calls it Transcendent Literature.
All of the above concepts have the same thread running thorugh them, i.e. closeness to God can bring us closer to our fellow man.
Forum Lingkar Pena, with its religious spirit, has a motto: writing for humanity and literature for humanity. Writing is fighting—fighting for justice, truth, and other virtues that should be defended in life. For when journalism is stifled, when the most poignant facts are buried, then literature, with its flexibility and richness in symbols, can always create room for words.
In Indonesia, for instance, the poet WS Rendra is able to keep speaking out against the corrupt and oppressive government of the New Order regime, because no one can silence an artist from speaking for humanity.
for we are a flowing stream
and you are a heartless stone
so water will erode stone
(WS. Rendra, Sajak Orang Kepanasan)
The development of the FLP community has drawn the attention of many people among the literary community. FLP is considered a phenomenon because, in a relatively short time, the organization has established branches in almost all Indonesian provinces, as well as in other countries. It has recruited around 5,000 members, almost seventy percent of which are women. Among these members, 500 actively write in various mass media. These 500 people strive to guide the other 4500 members to become writers.
For seven years, FLP members, without any institutional sponsors, have published more than 300 books, most of which are serious literary works, young adult fiction, and children’s stories.
FLP’s independence from other institutions has allowed it to write in keeping with the conscience and beliefs of its members.
It is also important to note that FLP has always appreciated the presence and existence of other writers and organizations outside itself, which is why it is often called a soothing community. Koran Tempo, an authoritative media institution in Indonesia, has another name for it--“A Manufacturer of Storytellers”!
LITERATURE FOR HUMANITY MOVEMENT
We call this movement the Love Anthologies. But these Love Anthologies don’t refer to a collection of love stories. It is more than that.
When Helvy Tiana Rosa, the co-founder and the first General Chairman of Forum Lingkar Pena, saw the growing number of street urchins all over Jakarta, she collaborated with fellow writer Gola Gong and donated half the royalties of their book, Nyanyian Perjalanan (Syaamil, 2000), for humanity.
When women writers from FLP Aceh saw their land destroyed by military operations, they collaborated on a book, Doa untuk Sebuah Negeri (Syaamil, 2000). All the royalties from the book was donated to social activities and to widows of the victims of military operations under the New Order government.
When we from FLP heard that Pipiet Senja, a prolific writer who suffered from thalassemia, was undergoing a spleen operation, we wondered: what did we have to offer when we ourselves were only penniless writers? But we realized the power that can result from the spirit of togetherness, so each of us contributed one short story to the another love anthology: Ketika Duka Tersenyum (FBA Press, 2001). In addition, the publisher was good enough to make the book’s royalty payments in advance, all of which was given to Pipiet Senja, to help ease the life struggles she was facing.
Collaborating to create love anthologies, then, has become FLP’s answer to writers’ difficulties in many other occasions.
When Ibnu HS was the head of FLP West Borneo, he conveyed to us the news that Yusakh Ananda, a nationally-recognized author who had received praise from distinguished literary critic HB Jassin in the 1950s, now lives in poverty. Yusakh Ananda, who was more than 65 years old, must make ends meet by selling ice in front of a state elementary school in Pontianak. We felt a wrenching pain when we heard about it. Yusakh Ananda was a famous author; doesn't anyone care about him? This pain we felt resulted in another love anthology: Cermin dan Malam Ganjil. As in the previous love anthologies, the royalty for this book was paid in advance, and was given to Yusakh Ananda through Ibnu HS in Pontianak, to be used as business capital. Although the amount of the royalty itself may not be so large, there is always a sense of happiness in the hearts of FLP writers each time we publish another love anthology.
When the situation in Palestine worsened, FLP writers from many cities, including a member in Egypt, presented the anthology Merah di Jenin (FBA Press). The entire royalty was paid in advance and 8 million rupiahs was donated through Mer-C. A non-profit humanitarian organization, Mer-C is led by Dr. Jose Rizal Suriadji and usually helps out by providing aid to victims of disasters and riots in the form of small-scale operations, medicinal supplies, and other forms of medical aid.
The love anthology eventually has become a tradition in Forum Lingkar Pena. Love and concern for humanity becomes the impetus for its members to donate to those in need. And when resources are limited, we do not donate our money. Instead, we donate our works.
This tradition allows FLP not only to make a difference in the lives of people outside its community, it also helps its own members. One such case was after the death of Agustrijanto’s wife. Agustrijanto is a talented young author from FLP Bandung, and when the sad news of his wife’s departure reached our ears, we knew we had to help. His wife’s death left not only a motherless child, but also a deep wound. There was also the hospital bill that had to be paid immediately if he was to take his child home. On their own initiative, friends from FLP contributed dozens of their short stories to the anthology Sahabat Pelangi (Lingkar Pena, 2004) to cover the hospital bill.
It would be hard to find this kind of love and concern in other writers’ organizations, according to Pipiet Senja.
The togetherness and humanitarian spirit among FLP writers faced another challenge when the 2004 tsunami tragedy occured. FLP friends published five love anthologies in collaboration with several publishers. From January to February 2006, the royalty of 40 million rupiahs was immediately donated to victims of the Aceh tsunami, even though the anthologies themselves were published months after. The five anthologies include Perempuan Bermata Lembut (FBA Press), Addicted to U (Lingkar Pena Publishing House), Jendela Cinta (Gema Insani Press), Menyisir Rindu (Cakrawala), and Surat untuk Abang (Senayan Abadi).
FLP Aceh also published its own love anthology, Hati yang Terpisah (Syaamil). What is unique about this book is that it consists of works written by six FLP Aceh members before the tsunami happened. Three of these FLP writers died in the tragic disaster.
There have been many other love anthologies after that, such as The Story of Jomblo, Lelaki Semesta, Suami Impian, and Badman Bidin. All four of these were published by Lingkar Pena Publishing House.
It is interesting to note that all of these love anthologies—in any genre, even humorous stories—all carry a message of humanity, without any lecturing, while still paying attention to literary aesthetics. In fact, these love anthologies have led to another form of love from FLP, i.e. the Rumah Cahaya movement (literally, House of Light)--a house for reading and creating. Rumah Cahaya is a library and a study place for poor children and teenagers. We have currently established ten Rumah Cahaya in different locations, albeit in modest conditions: in Penjaringan and Menteng atas (Jakarta), Depok, Pekalongan (Central Java), Bandung (West Java), Jogjakarta, Banda Aceh, Medan (North Sumatera), Bengkulu, Tenggarong (Kalimantan), and the Riau Islands.
A COLLABORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FOR A LOVE ANTHOLOGY
It will be wonderful if we could make several forms of collaboration, in relation to the creation of an International Love Anthology, to be published in several countries. Some writers I know have stated their willingness to contribute their shorts stories in the Literature-for-Humanity movement. In Indonesia, Lingkar Pena Publishing House, where I serve as the manager, would be happy to publish this love anthology.
I hope one day, there will be more and more Love Anthology in this world. Give more chance for writers to contribute more for humanity, and the world.
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