Even by the standards of post-totalitarian nations’ lingering paranoia the last month in Indonesia has seen a disheartening return to Suharto-era tropes of repression and neurosis. A week ago I received a message from Janet DeNeefe, director of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. “I just … [Read more...]
Writings
Cepuk Flies Everywhere
Can a book take you to fly far into the land of mystery? Of course, it can! And that’s what happened to me. It all started with the suggestion of a favorite editor for me to audition for the author of a children’s book organized by Yayasan Literasi Anak Indonesia (YLAI) for a joint project with Room … [Read more...]
Churning Waters
jakarta is silent like no other – the ghost of honking cars and scorching heat haunting its horizon, as if the city is saying: it was not supposed to be like this. the water crashing against skyscrapers and concrete isn't a welcome soundscape. wulandari steps out of the paraheli with a grace … [Read more...]
Did You Hear About . . . ? Gossip and care in the Indo American community in Queens
Gossip and care in the Indo American community in Queens. Awang Kitchen is an Indonesian restaurant along Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, a half mile away from Queens Center Mall. This rumah makan, named after its founder and chef, Siliwanga, is known for large group get-togethers and big portions … [Read more...]
Dioscuri
18 December, 2038 CASE HISTORY Identifying Information: NN, 19 year old man of Australian-Caucasian ethnicity, is one of the early-generation clones, a perfectly identical copy of his deceased brother (also bore the same name), who died in 2018 at the age of 20 due to an incurable heart defect. … [Read more...]
