BALI, INDONESIA Green, deep green Chlorophyll blinds the eyes keen Black earth, brown aches Sticky mud between toes cakes. Tears irrigate the picture painted under the labouring harvest’s stricture Paddy, palms, coconuts, frangipanis Creations of peasant hands canny. Rice sold and eaten Suffices to keep deep want beaten But for the future there are no […]
Poem: BALI, Indonesia
BALI, INDONESIA Green, deep green Chlorophyll blinds the eyes keen Black earth, brown aches Sticky mud between toes cakes. Tears irrigate the picture painted under the labouring harvest’s stricture Paddy, palms, coconuts, frangipanis Creations of peasant hands canny. Rice sold and eaten Suffices to keep deep want beaten But for the future there are no […]
Tribute to Rendra at Ubud – reflections
The first event at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival that I was scheduled to speak at was the Tribute to Rendra, being held in the evening of the first day, immediately after the opening ceremony. Rendra, one of Indonesia’s most interesting, active, prolific and political playwrites and poets, had died a few weeks earlier […]
Bali, 1969, 1972
26 October, 2007 I have heard them referred to as “Hindu eyes” presumably a reference to some distant Indian originating Aryan genes. His eyelids were bigger than most peoples, kind of half shutting down over the eyeball. But they didn’t droop at all, it was just how they were. Steady half shut but big and […]
FARMERS AND FESTIVALS: Looking back at Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Bali, Indonesia
Probably more than 500 people registered to attend the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (URWF), held in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia in October. I think there were at least 100 writers also making presentations, participating on panels, and launching books. Included among the 100 writers were around 20 Indonesian writers, representing a steady increase in the […]
Joesoef Isak passed away, August 15, 2007
The Thinker: Joesoef Was Right Monday was Independence Day, the anniversary of the proclamation of independence by Sukarno and Hatta and the beginning of a four-year struggle by millions of Indonesians to prevent a colonial army from seizing back the land they had plundered for 350 years. “ Merdeka atau mati! ” (freedom or death!) […]
On Joesoef Isak
by Max Lane 14 September, 2006 On April 20 2004 in a gala ceremony in New York the American PEN Center honoured Indonesian publisher, Joesoef Isak, with the 2004 Jeri Laber Freedom to Publish Award. The award was given to Joesoef Isak in recognition of his long record of courageous publishing during the years of […]
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival
WRITERS AND READERS FESTIVAL, 7-11 October, 2009 Thursday 4.45 – 5.45 “Translation as Suka Duka” Pam Allen Anton Kurnia Max Lane Chair Kadek Krishna Saturday 2.15 – 3.45 The legacy of Rendra Doel CP Allisah Max Lane Tjahjono Widijanto Chair Wayan Juniartha
Timor Leste: No leaderships with a national-scale authority
13 August, 2007 No leaderships with a national-scale authority The recent Presidential and parliamentary elections have been very revealing. They have showed that no political institution or figure from the period of the national liberation struggle has developed a political following based on program, ideology, ideas or leadership. No figure or institution scored more than […]
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