In Other Words review: Goenawan Mohamad and the essence of Indonesia

Book Chronicles / Review

In this article In Other Words: Forty Years of Essays
By John Schauble, originally published in Sydney Morning Herald
Aug 26, 2016

The meaning of nation is never far from Goenawan Mohamad's thoughts. It infiltrates even his most personal reflections. "Sometimes I wonder what could possibly have crossed my father's mind in the few moments before he was executed," begins one essay in this collection. "Sometimes I imagine that the name 'Indonesia' was on his lips, or 'Indonesian independence', but of course this imagined image is a cliche …"

Read the full article here.

SMH/Neil Newitt

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