Sun, 30 Apr 2000

Spreading the literary word across Java

By Sori Siregar

JAKARTA (JP): As we all know, literature has been poorly taught in our schools for decades. The lack of knowledgeable teachers is said to be one of main reasons for this. What also doesn't help matters any is that the time given to teaching literature is inadequate since it is considered to be only one small aspect of language teaching.

In practice, a language teacher -- with a poor knowledge of literature -- who teaches literature to his or her students, demands very little from them. Memorize a few names, dates, literary references, skim through a few stories and poems, etc..

Thus, it is understandable why the importance of literature has fallen so dramatically in the eyes of our nation's students. It is also understandable why most students find it difficult to write something as simple as a letter or term paper, let alone a poem or work of fiction.

Realizing this, Yayasan Indonesia and literary magazine Horison, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, embarked on a literary tour of West Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta provinces -- Feb. 21 through April 22. The main purpose of the tour was to introduce Indonesian writers to as many students as possible. They hit 30 high schools in 20 towns in three provinces.

After being introduced to the students, the writers read their works, told the students about the process of writing them and then answered questions. For the organizer, this was one significant way in which to foster an appreciation of Indonesian and world literature.

Among the 43 noted writers who joined the tour were big names such as WS Rendra, Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, Taufiq Ismail, Sapardi Djoko Damono, NH Dini, Toto Sudarto Bachtiar, Toety Heraty, Ayu Utami, Danarto, Emha Ainun Nadjib, Seno Gumira Ajidarma and Abdul Hadi WM.

The tour began at Cipasung, Tasikmalaya, then moved on to Bandung, Solo (Surakarta), Purwokerto, Wonosobo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Salatiga, Semarang, Rembang, Pekalongan, Tegal, Cirebon, Majalengka and ended in Sukabumi.

What was surprising was that the seminars -- which were meant to go on for only two hours -- usually ran longer.

In Majalengka, for instance, it took four hours for the writers to answer students' questions.

Though most of the students had very little knowledge of literature, many had become acquainted with fiction and poetry through newspapers and magazines. They asked very critical questions of the writers.

In a reading at SMA Negeri I, Cirebon -- in which I also participated -- a student suggested to poet Rendra that he should be grateful to the New Order regime because his popularity had been enhanced by its censorship of him. In response, Rendra told the student about his experiences -- the repression he faced, etc. It was not a pretty picture. He also said that he had been popular long before the New Order came to power.

In the seminars at Tegal and Cirebon, the distinguished Dutch poet Remco Kampert also joined the Indonesian writers. He read his poems and explained the creative process of writing through his interpreter, Rendra.

The literary tour was warmly received by the Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin who attended the closing seminar in Sukabumi. He said he hoped the program would continue, reaching out to even more remote areas and villages in Indonesia.