Apr 07
rkArsip Media, Literature, On Writing
There are more than a million books published around the world every year, with short story collections accounting for less than 1 percent of them. Still, the last two years have seen the publication of some of the most intriguing anthologies by authors of all backgrounds, making 2008 and 2009 very successful years for short fiction. In the long run, it remains to be seen if the short story will gain the publishing upper hand. Maggie Tiojakin reports.
Short stories are hard to write, that’s true; but they’re even harder to sell, and that’s a fact.
Ratih Kumala is known for her quirky and sometimes disturbing stories that appear regularly in leading national dailies, including Kompas and Suara Merdeka. She’s the author of three novels – Tabula Rasa (2004), Genesis (2005) and Kronik Betawi (2009) – as well as a collection of short stories, Larutan Senja (2006), distinguishing her as one of the most promising young writers today.
The 14 stories included in Larutan Senja (Potion of Twilight) feature some of Ratih’s best writing to date, recounting anecdotes of a world driven by faith (or the lack of it), mysticism, fantasy and (some) horror. Yet the anthology is almost impossible to find in local bookstores and available for purchase only through the Internet. This is despite the fact that Larutan Senja was listed as one of the few notable books in the year of its publication.
“Our editorial department has often expressed a great interest in publishing short story collections,” says Hetih Rusli, a senior editor at publisher Gramedia Pustaka Utama. “But our marketing department has always been more than a little hesitant to put them out there because they never sell as well as we expect.”
Nevertheless, according to Ratih, the lack of interest on readers’ part in purchasing anthologies of short stories may also be attributed to the fact that local short stories are readily accessible in newspapers’ weekly cycle.
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Jun 16
rkArsip Media, Kronik Betawi, Review Kronik Betawi
Oleh Muhammad Amin
Sampai saat tanah moyangku
tersentuh sebuah rencana dari serakahnya kota
terlihat murung wajah pribumi
terdengar langkah hewan bernyanyi
Itulah sebait syair dari lagu “Ujung Aspal Pondok Gede” yang dilantunkan penyanyi kawakan Iwan Fals. Nyanyian itu merupakan satu dari suara kegetiran orang-orang Betawi, penduduk asli Jakarta yang perlahan mulai terpinggirkan oleh modernisasi. Kawasan Pondok Gede sendiri kini sudah menjadi kawasan yang ditumbuhi gedung-gedung, tidak lagi kawasan asli Betawi di zamannya yang nyaman dan asri.
Kisah dalam novel ini bermula dari banjir Jakarta yang entah mengapa menjadi jadwal musiman. Haji Jaelani adalah salah satu warga Betawi yang harus menerima akibat dari perkembangan Jakarta, dan juga menerima konsekuensinya. Salah satunya adalah banjir akibat hilangnya banyak sekali resapan air yang dulu tersedia.
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Jan 12
rkArsip Media bioskop indonesia, Jakarta Globe, Jalan Sesama, Kronik Betawi, ratih kumala, Sesame Street, TransTV
Photo by Dalih Sembiring
Ratih Kumala is a Jakartan, first by birth and then by marriage. Born in the city 28 years ago, the writer-cum-editor moved to Palembang, South Sumatra Province, when she was in the fifth grade. She lived there for three years before her family took her to Solo, Central Java Province, where she eventually married writer Eka Kurniawan in 2006. Just one week after the wedding, Ratih followed her husband to the Big Durian.
What was it like to return to your birthplace?
I was shocked to see how much Jakarta had changed, especially the traffic. Let’s just say I’m glad my job doesn’t start at 9 a.m.
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Jun 23
rkArsip Media chiklit, daniel rose, dealova, dyan nuranindya, fadil timorindo, jakarta post, Literature, martin aleida, novel pop, penulis muda, ratih kumala, Tabula Rasa, teen, teenlit, the jakarta post, writers
DYAN NURANINDYA: (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
A man who works in marketing and rarely reads fiction said that whenever he heard the word “writer”, the first thing that crossed his mind was eccentricity.
His definition of “eccentricity” is introverted and quiet on one hand; extroverted and rebellious on the other. In short, he thinks writers are a strange breed. Where did he get this idea? “The Hours and Finding Forrester,” he answered.
Three young writers sat in the waiting room of Gramedia Pustaka Utama (GPU) publishing company one afternoon – two girls and a guy. The girls, Ratih Kumala and Dyan Nuranindya, were wearing T-shirts, and the guy, Fadil Timorindo, wore a washed-out jacket and skinny jeans. There was nothing eccentric about their appearance.
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Jun 21
rkArsip Media, Tabula Rasa Abidah El Khaileqi, Apsanti Djokosujatno, Ayu Utami, Dadaisme, Dewan Kesenian Jakarta, Dewi Lestari, kompas, ratih kumala, Tabula Rasa
Kompas, 21 Juni 2004
Jakarta, Kompas – Karya-karya novel para pengarang muda sekarang cenderung menyajikan loncatan-loncatan ruang dan waktu yang liar. Novel Tabula Rasa karya pengarang muda Ratih Kumala misalnya, tak segan-segan menyuguhkan perasaan asing kepada pembaca dalam kerangka kosmolitisme, seperti yang lumrah ditemukan dalam novel Ayu Utami dan Dewi Lestari. More
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