It is visiting hour at Jakarta's Cipinang Prison and its most famous inmate, the Muslim preacher Abubakar Baasyir, sits on a wooden bench surrounded by a dozen acolytes, assistants and lawyers. Several prisoners attend to him, including a confessed terrorist who has become the cleric's servant and … [Read more...]
Writings
Short Story: Wrong number
The phone rings. Matari picks it up. “Hello, this is 250-0998.” “Sorry, wrong number,” says a woman on the other end, softly. Matari puts the phone down and returns to his book. He has read it seven times. Not because he loves it, but because it is the only book he owns. Its last page is … [Read more...]
Sukarno
He gave unity to Indonesia, dignity to the downtrodden and anxiety to the powerful, who finally brought him down. He united his country and set it free. He liberated his people from a sense of inferiority and made them feel proud to be Indonesian--no small achievement, coming after 350 years of … [Read more...]
Summoning Literary Witches: Intan Paramaditha Rethinks Her Personal Canon
This essay is based on a Master’s lecture delivered at the Conrad Award Gala, Conrad Festival, October 29, 2023. Gloria Anzaldúa, a queer Mexican American author with indigenous heritage, tells us about why she writes: “I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories … [Read more...]
The Caretaker of Tears
Lia Tjokro offers a restrained and emotionally exacting meditation on grief and care. The story centers on labor that is invisible yet essential—emotional maintenance performed without recognition or relief. Silence, repetition, and ritual structure the narrative, allowing sorrow to surface … [Read more...]
