Djenar keeps tales short but not so sweet<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Writer Djenar Maesa Ayu had taken up residence in the corner of
\nQB bookstore, Central Jakarta, with the tool of her trade, an
\nApple iBook, beside her, in black tanktop and denim outfit, a
\npack of cigarettes and a glass of beer placed nearby, sending out
\na message of the cosmopolitan young woman about town.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old mother of two could easily be mistaken for a
\nmodel, although she is self-deprecating about her beauty.<\/p>\n
She said she does not think she is pretty and was dismayed
\nthat it was her looks that got a lot of attention when she
\npublished a short-story collection, Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!
\n(They said I'm a Monkey!) last year.<\/p>\n
"There is even a new phrase like sastra wangi ("fragrant
\nliterature" for young female writers), or sastra cek & ricek
\n("tabloid literature", taken from the name of a gossip show).
\nThere have never been people who seriously discuss my work. It's
\nalways been stuff outside writing," she said.<\/p>\n
Validation came with the selection of her short story Waktu
\nNayla (Nayla's Time) by Kompas daily as the best of its kind in
\nthe past year.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, Djenar's cell phone rang, apparently from somebody
\nwho had hired her for a new TV celebrity gossip show.<\/p>\n
"I'm going to be the presenter. Why? Well, it's funny, the
\nconcept is funny. It's always fun to gossip, right?"<\/p>\n
Specializing in short stories, Djenar is among several women
\nwriters who have emerged in the past five years, a rare phenomena
\nin the world of Indonesian literature.<\/p>\n
"I've liked short stories ever since I was a little. And then,
\nas a housewife, I have limited time. Also, when I write, it has
\nto be finished, otherwise I have to repeat the whole process
\nagain. That's my weakness. I guess I have to learn to be more
\npatient," she said.<\/p>\n
Her's is a straightforward, blunt writing style, filled with
\nthemes such as adultery, rape, prostitution, even incest.
\nIt's hardly the usual fluffy romance fiction of Indonesian women
\nwriters.<\/p>\n
Or, in other words, she is moving in on the territory of men
\nwho are usually given the artistic license to explore such
\nsubjects.<\/p>\n
One story in her first book, Mereka, for instance, is titled
\nNamanya.., (Her Name Is..), and tells about a teenage girl named
\nMemek (coarse slang for vagina) whose mother is a prostitute.<\/p>\n
"Everybody has their own style to tell their stories. If I use
\nbeautiful language, my message is often not conveyed.<\/p>\n
"Besides, Kompas once published a short story with memek in
\nthe title. But because the writer is a man, no one cared. What's
\nso vulgar about the word either?" said Djenar, saying the word
\nrepeatedly and rolling her eyes.<\/p>\n
She underlined that everything she writes was taken from the
\nreality of the surrounding society, including sexual deviation.<\/p>\n
For her upcoming book, also a compilation, Jangan Main-main
\nDengan Kelaminku (Don't Mess With My Genitals), Djenar had to
\nfind another publisher after the first backed out, no doubt
\nscared by that title.<\/p>\n
Not all of her works have such themes. Waktu Nayla, for
\ninstance, is the contemplative story of a woman diagnosed with
\ncancer who realizes she has not lived life to the fullest, and
\nstarts to think about time.<\/p>\n
Time is also an issue for Djenar, juggling her status as
\nhousewife-cum-writer.<\/p>\n
"I really enjoy family life. It's having children and raising
\nthem that I love the most," Djenar said.<\/p>\n
She got married after graduating from high school to a man she
\nclaims to have been in love with since she was only 12 years old.<\/p>\n
"I've never regretted it. Because I really wanted to have
\nsomeone who could turn me into more responsible person. Ooh, I
\nwas such a brat, very wild, unimaginably wild. I don't know why
\n-- perhaps it's genetic," she laughed.<\/p>\n
She was referring to her parents, the late director Syuman
\nDjaya and former actress Tuti Kirana, from whom Djenar had at
\nleast two stepparents and several stepsiblings.<\/p>\n
Busy as she is, Djenar has another project in the pipeline.<\/p>\n
She is now working on a film script which is based on three
\nshort stories from her book.<\/p>\n
Aware of her lack of experience in filmmaking, Djenar has just
\ntaken a six-month course on cinematography at the National Film
\nCenter in the capital.<\/p>\n
"It's very interesting. I found new difficulties, which are
\nvery challenging. Wish me luck. I hope the result won't be
\nembarrassing," she smiled.<\/p>\n
We certainly hope not.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/djenar-keeps-tales-short-but-not-so-sweet-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }