'I like the scribble in secondhand books'

'I like the scribble in secondhand books'

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After bringing the reality of life around us to the stage last
week with his latest play marking Teater Mandiri's 33rd
anniversary, Putu Wijaya is still going full steam. The ideas
continue to flow while he indulgges his other passions of reading
and writing. Although reluctant to mention his age, Putu was more
forthcoming about the books that he enjoys.
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What's on your bedside table?

Now I am reading a collection of selected essays published by
Horison. I'm reading it because I want to learn about the
development on the ways of thinking among Indonesian
intellectuals in general. What they have in mind is interesting.
I am using it to write a series titled Dangdut, now being
published by Suara Merdeka daily in Semarang and in its sixth
month.

Author, author -- who is your favorite?

I don't worship authors, I look more to the works. But the
works of (Yukio) Mishima, (Ryunosuke) Akutagawa, Baso, Boris
Pasternak, Samuel Beckett, (Edgar Allan) Poe, (Anton) Chekov, O.
Henry, William Saroyan, Pramoedya (Ananta Toer), Goenawan
Mohamad, W.S. Rendra, Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, (Umar) Khayam,
Iqbal even Agatha Christie, to name a few, are always an
interesting read.

Kid's choice?

Karl May's adventure, The Human Comedy by William Saroyan,
Mahabharata. I love those books because they are not just telling
stories but also teaching about morality.

Magazines for a good browse?

I like magazines with lots of pictures, don't talk too much
but its content is comprehensive and selective. But I also like
Penthouse and Playboy.

Favorite places to pick up a good book?

I really like buying secondhand books because the important
thing for me is not the book but its content. In secondhand
places, sometimes the books already have scribble in them, with
comments by readers. For me, that's interesting because I know
that I am in touch, in a way, with other readers.

-- Stevie Emilia