Linda Christanty: The need for critical thinking

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Winning a prestigious literary prize provides more of a burden than pride and joy for writer Linda Christanty, who frets that her works still lack much in quality.

Her reticence is despite the praise of the jury of the 2004 Khatulistiwa Award, who said her short story collection, Kuda Terbang Maria Pinto (Maria Pinto's Flying Horse), was "unpredictable, multidimensional, meaningful and able to adhere to writing technique and theme".

Linda, 34, said she found it hard to turn her ideas into simple but meaningful sentences.

"By simple, it doesn't mean I don't pay attention to structure, syntax or semantics. But I want the flow and the language to work well, and readers can feel the emotion right away, even if they cannot relate to the story," said Linda, who shared the prize for works of fiction with author Seno Gumira Ajidarma.

"I still cannot do that."

It did not seem to be the insincere lament of a winner trying so hard to be humble. Instead, Linda really did feel that she did not deserve the prize.

She also showed concern that she would fall into the trap of some fellow writers, believing in their own hype and becoming smug.

The local literary scene has perked up in recent years with the emergence of young writers, many of them women, and more works published than a decade ago.

However, as Linda put it, it has become a tumultuous market.

Many people write but take the art lightly, barely paying attention to logic, structure and characterization, resulting in mediocre works lacking intricacy and depth.

It does not seem to dissuade the critics and literary experts from hailing the next great literary hope, and showering them with hyperbolic praise.

Women writers, a rarity at one time, have been singled out for particular attention, to such an extent that author and columnist Ayu Utami even thought she was overrated.

It may be part of the well-intentioned effort to encourage young writers, but it often misleads readers into buying the vaunted works, only to be disappointed.

There is also the danger of the rise of second-rate writers elevated by one or two literary figures.

"There are the flowery blurbs from noted authors, and then what? Does that mean everybody has to write like that? Critical readers with knowledge will know which one is good, but I'm afraid there will be people who think that 'Oh, so this is what good writing is like', and then they start to write like that," said Linda, who studied Indonesian literature at the University of Indonesia.

Young writers need to be encouraged, but there also must be fair criticism of the literary offerings.

"Some say that readers will learn how to be critical. But I don't think that's true. We need to create a scene where fair criticism is given, so that readers will be critical and writers learn how to write well," she said.

Unbiased criticism is not yet an accepted part of the culture of this country, especially in the close-knit community of writers and publishers.

In a rather embarrassing move, a book shop owner-cum-writer recently slammed a noted critic in a long-winded full page opinion piece in leading Kompas daily. He declared that writers should follow their artistic calling without paying attention to critics, nor heavyweight literary method and theory.

So, no place for literary criticism, but let's just flog some trite works by those with overblown literary pretensions?

"I don't agree with that," Linda said of the piece. "Writers need to learn their craft, the language and the theory. Because the language is the tool of expression."

Born in Bangka island in southern Sumatra, Linda has written short stories, her favorite medium, since she was a teenager.

Her breakthrough came when she was one of the 10 winners of the short story competition held by Kompas in 1990.

Titled Daun-daun Kering (Dried Leaves), the story tells of a young woman left at loose ends after her boyfriend dumped her.

Kuda Terbang, meanwhile, consists of 12 short stories published in various publications, from Kompas to Media Indonesia and a+ magazine, from 2002 to 2004.

The title story is the strongest, about the myth of a woman chief commander riding a flying horse, told by a military man to a stranger.

It was inspired by a similar tale of East Timor.

"I just want to tell the story of war from the point of view of a soldier. A soldier usually comes from a poor farming family, who would like to escape his fate by being in the army. But in the end, in war and violence, they have to face their family."

An activist during Soeharto's regime, Linda's writing often has political themes, such as telling of an activist traitor, bomber or war.

She is also interested in homosexuality, inspired by her friendship with a lesbian who is now out of the closet.

Linda's writing may still lack intricacy and insight, but it is unpretentious and earnest.

She is now working for the Indonesian representative of the Brussels-based European Center for Common Ground, writing a radio soap opera called Menteng Pangkalan.

"It is aimed at educating the public about how to resolve community conflicts through dialog rather than violence," Linda said.

She also would like to try writing a novel.

"The short story cannot always accommodate an idea as a whole, it only works as fragments. I figure the idea will be more thorough and more intricate in a novel," said Linda, crossing her fingers.