This is an unusual book of poetry, the work of an unconventional\nwriter. Typically, an anthology is united by a common thread; a shared\ntheme, a distinctive style of expression, or a particular moment.\nHowever, this book is bound by a single reason: it was written by the\nsame poet. It is also customary for an anthology to collect poems from a\nspecific period, whereas this book gathers poems written over a long\nspan of time\u2014across the writer\u2019s entire career. Physically, the\nappearance of this poetry anthology, which is more than three hundred\npages thick, resembles an academic textbook\u2014it merely lacks an index and\na list of references at the end.<\/p>\n
Usually, a poetry book is written by a poet. But this poetry book is\nthe work of a writer who does not wish to be called a poet. Ikhwanul\nArif has been writing poetry since the 1990s. He published his poems in\nHarian Suara Pembaruan (Jakarta), Bali Pos (Denpasar), Haluan and\nSinggalang (Padang). Several of his poems were also included in various\njoint anthologies published for specific events in different cities.\nYet, he was reluctant to publish his own book. He refused to become a\npoet because, he said, \u2018people place excessive labels and expectations\non poetry\u2019. \u2018A poet is not a great person. He is an ordinary figure,\njust like a pedicab driver, a thug, a labourer, a piece of tissue, and\nso on. We don\u2019t need to glorify poetry or the poet too much,\u2019 he stated.\nFor this reason, he cancelled the publication of his own poetry\nanthology while it was in preparation back in 1994.<\/p>\n
In the arts circles of West Sumatra, Ikhwanul Arif is known as an\nactor, musician, and poet. As an actor, he performed several times in\nproductions staged by various theatre groups. One of the groups he spent\nconsiderable time with was Teater Size, based at the West Sumatra\nCultural Park in Padang. Although he always gave impressive performances\nin many theatre productions, Ikhwanul Arif always appeared restless. It\nseemed he was never satisfied with his own understanding of the text or\nhis acting. He was clearly a person who was not easily content and was\nalways seeking. He often asked questions about readings and arguments to\nthose he considered more widely read and experienced.<\/p>\n
He was almost always present at discussions and dialogues at the\nCultural Park, a welcoming \u2018big house\u2019 for artists in Padang until the\nearly 2000s. Sometimes I saw Ikhwanul talking with Zurmailis, a leading\nfigure in Teater Noktah and an academic at Andalas University. At other\ntimes, he was seen chatting with the playwright Wisran Hadi (Bumi\nTeater), listening to the thoughts of writer Darman Moenir, or Sjafrial\nArifin (Teater Jenjang). But what he did most often was simply listen to\nothers\u2019 conversations. He would weigh the content of the discussion,\nconfront it with other ideas, weigh it again, and then talk about it. He\nwas not a cynical person who always needed to show off his arguments in\nfront of a crowd.<\/p>\n
He was also active with the music group Pentassakral, a group founded\nand led by Alda Wimar, who is also a poet. Due to his experience and\ninterest in music, Ikhwanul Arif was often asked to be a mentor for\nschool students producing and staging musical poetry performances.<\/p>\n
Ikhwanul liked to carry a small bag, inside which was a book he was\ncurrently reading. Some of these books looked worn from being flipped\nthrough so often. In my observation at that time, not many art workers\nmade reading and the pleasure of thinking a daily hobby. When Ikhwanul\nand I met, we often chatted about our perceptions of our readings and\ncurrent issues. As an art worker, Ikhwanul always carried out his\nactivities with a happy heart and without expecting anything in return.\nHe was also not the type of person who liked to take advantage of others\nto gain money or fame. With all his uncommon behaviour, Ikhwanul was a\nrare creature among those who called themselves \u2018artists\u2019 and roamed the\nWest Sumatra Cultural Park environment until the early 2000s.<\/p>\n
By the late 2000s, the artistic atmosphere at the West Sumatra\nCultural Park began to change. Activities dwindled, the performance\nbuilding fell into disrepair, a bureaucratic atmosphere strengthened,\nand artists preferred to grumble rather than create. The place began to\nbe abandoned. In this situation, Ikhwanul shifted his activities to\nschools and campuses. He produced musical poetry and performed it on\nseveral occasions. He visited several campus theatre groups that were\nstill active and found a comfortable haven with the Imam Bonjol Theatre\nGroup at the UIN Lubuk Lintah campus in Padang. He seemed more\ncomfortable there with students who loved art. Now, activities in campus\ntheatre are also gasping for air. The arena for discussion has shifted\nto cafes. I and Ikhwanul are among the older patrons of Kafe Pojok\nSteva, a comfortable discussion space, coffee shop, and library on the\noutskirts of Padang.<\/p>\n
The trail of Ikhwanul\u2019s activities shows that he is a restless\ntraveller, unable to stay settled in one place or one artistic field. He\nis reluctant to be called an actor despite performing in many shows. He\nis hesitant to be called a musician despite producing several musical\nworks. He also does not want to be called a poet, despite having written\nmany poems. This book, it seems, is indeed not merely a poetry\nanthology. It is a record of the poet\u2019s personal journey in the form of\npoetry. Therefore, the poems in this book are not focused on a\nparticular theme. The problems discussed are broad and expansive,\nranging from issues of love, the social environment, and divinity, to\nthe problems of the self.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bibliography-of-jealousy-a-journey-to-the-source-of-self-1784210055", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }