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In this article:
Happy Stories, Mostly
Norman Erikson Pasaribu
Tiffany Tsao
Written by Anderson Tepper, originally published in New York Times
Jun 30, 2023
Happy Stories, Mostly
Norman Erikson Pasaribu
Tiffany Tsao
Written by Anderson Tepper, originally published in New York Times
Jun 30, 2023
“What does it mean to be happy?” asks Norman Erikson Pasaribu, a young Toba Batak writer, at the outset of his debut collection, HAPPY STORIES, MOSTLY (Feminist Press, 146 pp., paperback, $16.95), translated by Tiffany Tsao. It’s a difficult question, especially for many of his gay characters searching for connections. In modern-day Indonesia, they find little joy, let alone solace or acceptance.
Pasaribu’s motifs run much darker than Fonseca’s: His stories abound in heavy rain, weepy mothers, confessions and crucifixes, loneliness and suicide. Dreams go unfulfilled and the young, like their country, are often unsure which way to turn.
Pasaribu’s motifs run much darker than Fonseca’s: His stories abound in heavy rain, weepy mothers, confessions and crucifixes, loneliness and suicide. Dreams go unfulfilled and the young, like their country, are often unsure which way to turn.
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