THE LONTAR FOUNDATION
We are an independent, not-for-profit organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia,
promoting Indonesian literature and culture through the translation of its literary works
Against the Grain
By Suwarsih Djojopuspito
Translated by George A. Fowler
The Mystical Path of Badrul Mustafa
By Heru Joni Putra
Translated by George A. Fowler
The Lontar Anthology of Indonesian Drama
Vol. 1 Plays for the Popular Stage (1890-1960)
AUTHOR OF THE MONTH
Arti Purbani was the pen name of Bendoro Raden Ayu Partini Djajadiningrat. Born into the Mangkunegaran royal family in 1902, her father, Raden Mas Soerjosoeparto, would eventually become Prince Mangkunegara VII. She was educated at the First European Elementary School (Eerste Europeesche Lagere School) but also received instruction in Javanese culture and literature at home, the Mangkunegara palace in Surakarta.
She married Hoesein Djajadiningrat, a philologist and the first Indonesian to obtain a PhD from Leiden University. Together they had six children.
From a young age, Arti Purbani was fond of writing. Surprisingly, however, neither her father nor her highly-educated husband, approved of her hobby. Presumably, it was for this reason that when she did begin to publish, she adopted a pen name.
Partini’s pen-name takes the middle part of her actual name, arti, the word for “meaning” while purbani translates as “ancient” (purba) with a feminizing –ni. Arti Purbani thus can be read as “the woman who understands the meaning of the old days.”
Though best known for her novel, Widyawati, forthcoming in English under the title A Scented Prison, she penned four other novels and a number of short stories and folk tales as well. She died in 1998.
FORTHCOMING
In the twilight of the Dutch colonial rule of the Netherlands East Indies, the courts of Central Java were pockets of archaic royal custom being jostled by progressive new ideas. Widati, the leading character in this novel, A Scented Prison, struggles to find her way between these two worlds as a young woman in love, who longs for authenticity of expression and the liberty to serve the human community.
A Scented Prison, first published in Indonesian under the title Widyawati, is very much centered on the lives of women of various social standings. Widati’s family is not of the elite class, though high enough so that she can attend a school with some of them. She has long conversations with Waginah, a servant her own age; is comforted by Mbah Wiro, her former nanny; and mingles with neighbor children when her stepmother isn’t looking. She also observes the hardships of lower-class women, and has great sympathy for them, hoping to use her education to improve their lot.
Also prominent in this novel, are Javanese rituals, especially as practiced by the elites—everything from birth to death, including rituals of marriage, pregnancy, child birth, coming-of-age birthday parties, circumcision, and funerals. We are given details about every aspect of these and many other ceremonial occasions as well.
“The Smiling Semar from America” (Semar Mesem dari Amerika) is a documentary film devoted to the life of Gregory John Churchill (1947-2022) and his love of Indonesian puppets. During his decades in Indonesia he collected more than 8,000 puppets from around Indonesia and other parts of the world.
The film was produced by the Lontar Foundation under the supervision of John H. McGlynn and directed by Eva Tobing.
Novel Against the Grain karya Suwarsih Djojopuspito bukan hanya berbicara tentang dunia pergerakan, tetapi juga kehidupan rumah tangga kaum pergerakan, tarik-menarik antara dunia privat dan publik di masa yang penuh gejolak. Novel ini boleh disebut sebagai novel feminis pertama dalam sastra Indonesia.
Mari bergabung dalam peluncuran dan diskusi “Perempuan dan Pergerakan”.
Jumat, 23 Agustus 2024
19.00 WIB
Komunitas Utan Kayu
Jalan Utan Kayu Raya 68H,
Matraman, Jakarta Timur
Pembicara:
Dewi Widyastuti
Isyana Artharini
Moderator:
Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi
Registrasi:
bit.ly/Against_The_Grain
Acara ini terbuka untuk umum, tempat terbatas, gratis dengan pendaftaran.
Terselenggara atas kerja sama Yayasan Lontar dan Komunitas Utan Kayu.
Didukung oleh Dana Indonesiana – Kemendikbudristek – LPDP
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