Ayu Utami on literature, sex and politics

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sexuality -- from a woman's perspective-- is one powerful theme besides politics in Ayu Utami's novel Saman and its sequel Larung.

Born in Bogor, West Java, on Nov. 21, 1968, Ayu became a well- known figure throughout the country after her first work Saman won a novel writing contest organized by the Jakarta Art Institute eight years ago.

Some literary critics praised the rich language in the novel while others criticized her for openly exploring sex.

Saman was translated into Dutch three years ago and into English recently. The novel was awarded the Prince Claus Prize in 2000.

Ayu is among the first female writers in the country who has dared to openly discuss sex and sexuality, which is still considered taboo for women, but not for men. In her novels, she often uses such words as penis, vagina, orgasm and condoms, which are considered by certain critics as a little "too much".

Saman's comments on politics is still considered relevant. The repression of human right activists under president Soeharto as depicted in the novel still happens today. Reading Ayu's work is thus like viewing a real portrait of Indonesia. Ayu has apparently gained a good understanding of her country thanks to her journalistic experience. She was a journalist for the now- defunct Forum Keadilan magazine and a founding member of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

The graduate of the Literature Studies of the University of Indonesia (UI) was also an editor at Kalam cultural journals and a columnist with several publications. Her essays have been published in a book titled Parasit Lajang (Single Parasite).

While working on her third novel, Ayu is now joining the International Writing Program at Iowa University in the United States. Several noted Indonesian writers have joined the program in the past.

The Jakarta Post interviewed Ayu through e-mail on her views on literature, sex and politics. The following is an excerpt:

question: In schools, we were taught about literature based on age groups, periodical times (of authors). How do you see our literary world nowadays? Answer: Here (in Iowa, United States--Ed,), I just met a Colombian author who hated literature and language instruction in school. It was because the way it was taught did not make children interested and involved. I felt that way too at school. Teaching literature based on age groups only provides children with materials to be memorized without giving them the chance to appreciate literature and language.

The Indonesian literary world is now glowing. It's good. Like our film world, there is a hope. There is an awakening. But we should keep the flame alight so that it will not become a fleeting enthusiasm. Moreover, we should not be quickly satisfied with the rise in the literary and film market. It should be viewed as a chance to improve the quality of our work.

Generally, our standard of writing is still low. Our standard in all fields is still low. While, we now have many writers and the market is growing, let them compete against one another. This will improve the quality in general.

Nowadays, in several elite schools, students are made to read and review literary works. Of course, not all schools have done it. It's OK, it's good that the elite schools have started it.

In the mass media, you and some other women writers are categorized as Sastra Wangi writers. What is your comment?(Sastra Wangi or fragrant literature is a term coined by the press to refer to the literary works by young urban women writers).

No problem. The mass media has never been a good literary critic. It is more interested in gossip than quality, more in people than (their) works. Probably, the media reflects the level of (maturity) society in general... Our leaders also reflect the level of our society.

So, I just view it positively... If we were labeled as Sastra Wangi, what can we do with the label? What we can do is make more people look at our works. Hence, serious people will see that the women writers labeled as Sastra Wangi are different from one another. Totally different.

The only thing we have in common is that we are young middle- class urban women. We are not like (poet) Chairil Anwar whose life was messy, who fell sick and died young. We did not come from villages or small towns and suffer an urban shock upon seeing Jakarta. The city is nothing for us. We are city children. Before that, our literary world was dominated by male writers who had agrarian backgrounds. That's why people are astonished at seeing the current middle-class urban women writers. Probably, sastra wangi is a social symptom rather than "literary criticism".

Some traditional literary critics view your works as "excessive" in discussing sex. What's your response to this?

Probably, it's true that I have discussed sex excessively. But, what is excessive? For me, excessiveness is necessary when we need to break through constraints that prevent discourse. In the mass media, men have been discussing sex excessively for decades since the establishment of the media. Sexual discourses from women (perspective) are needed. Of course, every fight or breakthrough will be viewed as "excessive" by those who seek to maintain the status-quo. Soeharto also did it. It happens everywhere...

I once criticized Gaya Nusantara magazine for always talking about sex, that it's like a porn magazine for gay people. Isn't there anything else for gay people except sex? I then thought back and realized that sex is still a struggle for gay people. So it is for me. Sex is still a problem for women, more than for men. So, we need to write about it, to struggle for it.

In a patriarchal society, discussing sex is still a taboo. According to you, what is sex and sexuality?

Is sex taboo in Indonesia? Are you kidding? Look at those tabloids sold on the sidewalk. Watch television programs late at night, see news on rape, all of them are full of sex and lust. In a patriarchal society, probably, the taboo is discussing sex for the interest of women. For a patriarchal society, the taboo is making women the subjects in sexual matters. So far, people exploit sex, but, by objectifying women. What I write is no more crude than those pictures or rape stories that they write. But I want to make women become the subjects. That's considered taboo.

The safe sex campaign (with the use of condoms) -- although it was related to HIV/AIDS prevention -- was rejected. People seem allergic to the word "condom". What is your comment?

We should not always talk about moral concerns at all levels. People may be concerned about sexual promiscuity. But don't be always narrow minded. Sex will always happen even without condoms. Have affairs and sexual promiscuity happened only after the discovery of condoms?

Second, we are facing the bigger problem of sexual diseases that infect people: mothers, wives whose husbands are infected from sex with other women. Should the moral concern be upheld higher than the concern we have for the victims? Let those who want to become womanizers be as they are. But, our duty is to protect the weak. Condoms, if we view it from a broader perspective, protect the weak.

In the public morality bill, kissing on the lips in public is prohibited. What's your concept of pornography?

First, pornography is an exploitation of the weak. Secondly, pornography must be something which is done in the wrong place. So, does kissing exploit the weak? No way. But, does it happen in the wrong place? It could. But, probably it's a matter of appropriateness. It's like blowing our nose during a dinner. It's not polite. Moreover, kissing is not in print, so it's not pornography.

So that's why they (the fundamentalist groups who formulated the public morality bill which has been tabled by the government -- ed) proposed (the terms) pornography and pornoaksi (erotic actions) to snare people kissing and the hip gyrating dance of Inul (popular dangdut singer Inul Daratista -- ed). I agree that pornography needs to be regulated. But, it should not be banned in a stupid way.

A ban has a goal. The goal is, first, to protect the weak, and second, to maintain common decency. Rather than protecting women who are often exploited, the bill even punishes them. Second, erotic books and pictures are not a problem as long as they are read by adults. The bill also says that (pornography) is acceptable for "medical" and "health" reasons... It is (thus) confirmed that those porn films have a positive function too, for example, to arouse sexual desire between a bored husband and wife in order to improve their sexual relations. It should not be viewed as a sickness.

You once said that you would never marry. Can you explain?

Ha ha ha. Yes, off course, I said I would never marry. Then, people accused me of hating men or having had a traumatic experience with men. It's very funny. I will not marry is a statement that takes a stance against the hypocrisy of Indonesian society. This society glorifies marriage too much. And, many victims have fallen because of that. First, women who -- because one or another reason -- are not married. They are mocked as old spinsters who "are not saleable". So they become wounded aggressive people who are stereotyped as "ugly old spinsters". It is a vicious cycle for women. The obligation to marry is a vicious circle for women.

Second, society always condemns pre-marital sex. What does it mean? (It means that) if you are married, you are allowed to have sex with anybody, not only your husband or wife. That happens. Hotels and motels everywhere are full of people committing fornication. That's it. We are sinners. But do not be hypocrites. You sin and also condemn it. Use your own standard to measure yourself.

I want to free myself and my people from the obligation to marry. So that, marriage is a free choice. It's not an obligation or coercion. So that, marriage will find a noble meaning. I support monogamous marriage and, if it possible, do not divorce. So, Jangan beli kucing dalam karung (Do not buy a cat in a sack, i.e. an unknown quantity). How do I behave toward men, ask the man who is my lover or those who are my ex-lovers.

You dislike militarism, but you like (sexually) a man with a military look. Can you explain?

That's it. Taste is not related with thought and political stance. But, I'm happy with the man who is now with me. Because he has discipline and style like a military man, but a heart and (love of) freedom like an artist.

Besides sex, your writing also tells about the political situation under Soeharto. Do you think it is still relevant now?

It is still relevant. Because Soeharto left many things. He has many legacies. So many dishes should be washed. Soeharto has developed the country. The nine-year compulsory education and family planning are his big contributions. But his "nuclear waste" pile up may take generations to clean. We need to look back at how it has happened.

In our agriculture we have been left behind by Thailand -- for example, our local durian is less popular than Thailand's monthong durian --, we should question our agricultural policy which does it not support the farmers. Why are we now importing rice, beans, oil, etc.? Indonesia was once self-sufficient in rice. We were once an oil exporter.

If now, we have become corrupt, lazy, love instant things, bureaucratic, have no sportsmanship, have no outstanding achievement in sports, should we blame President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla?

What is your comment on the current regime which was democratically elected?

Yeah, the current administration has been left with the "nuclear waste" as I have said. Whoever has been elected through any means, even democratic, has a very heavy duty. Because they were left with a damaged ship. According to me, SBY is always slow in responding to anything. He is probably good when facing a calm sea. More agile people are needed for the ship in a storm.

In Saman, there are good values, for example, how the Catholic Saman develops his relationship with Islamic villagers and a Chinese-Indonesian trader. Can you explain the message?

Actually I, as you said, did not develop the theme. I only touched on the issue slightly. How human beings develop relationships is not a single-layer (matter). In daily life, if there are no big gaps, people overlook racial and religious differences. When the same people talk about it, we know that there is a difference. For example, an anti-Chinese sentiment could occur among people who have close Chinese friends. But for them, their Chinese friends are not "the Chinese in general", instead they are "Chinese in particular". It also applies in terms of religion. In a time of crisis, suddenly a concept of identity is of greater importance. And then hatred emerges. Attacks against certain groups. It's very complex, of course.

By the way, what are you doing in the United States? How is your new novel progressing?

I got a grant to join the International Writing Program in Iowa City. Actually, it's for three months. But I could only join for a month because I have so many things to do in Jakarta. I met several writers. I'm finishing my third novel titled, -- so far, after several changes -- Jalan Hanna (Hanna's Way). It tells about four people who are romantically entwined against the backdrop of the Soeharto era to the reform era. I'm hoping, it can be published early next year.