Ulasan Buku: Pandaya Sriwijaya

Judul: Pandaya Sriwijaya

Penulis: Yudhi Herwibowo

Penerbit: Bentang Pustaka

ISBN: 978-979-1227-70-4

Seorang teman pernah berkata kepada saya, bahwa salah satu keinginan terbesarnya adalah diberikan kemampuan (entah dengan teknologi atau melalui keajaiban metafisis) agar dapat menjelajahi masa lalu secara utuh. Dia ingin membuktikan langsung kebenaran klaim-klaim historis yang hingga saat ini seringkali diperdebatkan dan dipergunakan sebagai landasan moralitas oleh banyak pihak. Mungkin baginya menarik jika kita bisa mengetahui beragam kejadian di masa lalu dan menjadikannya sebagai pengalaman dan pengetahuan kita yang utuh, kemudian memberikan pelbagai inspirasi kepada kita, misalnya untuk membuat novel.

The Paradox of Existentialism Between Religion and Evolution

"Dostoyevsky is saying, here is that:
to be a Christian is to choose, because you have to choose of your own choice. And since you can't choose to be good -- because that'd be too rational -- you have to choose to be bad. It's existential."

(The Ice Storm, by Ang Lee)

Since watched the movie I've been thinking if doing good is too rational, and that's what humankind is "programmed" and expected to be, then the notion of being existential is indeed to choose doing bad, to act against the "codes" designed by the "programmer" or by nature, otherwise humankind is a mere group of robots.

My Existentialism Through Literary Activity

Please pardon my narcissism, but I feel like sharing (and hence, enjoying) the publicity of my name in media. Thanks to Komunitas Sastra Pawon (Pawon Literary Community) in Solo that I've joined since few months ago that has made this come true.

http://solo.tribunnews.com/2017/01/26/balai-soedjatmoko-solo-akan-gelar-bincang-buku-berjudul-berkini-tiada-tara

Sepuluh Buku yang Seharusnya Berusia Panjang

Ditulis untuk kontribusi pada buku antologi ulang tahun Sastra Pawon yang berjudul "10 Buku yang Seharusnya Berumur Panjang"

Dalam dunia buku-buku bacaan, ada banyak buku yang bagi masing-masing pembacanya meninggalkan kesan mendalam dan bahkan dapat mempengaruhi pandangan hidup si pembacanya. Buku-buku ini, sayangnya, tidaklah selalu buku-buku yang mudah ditemukan di toko-toko buku di sekitar kita. Beberapa dari buku-buku ini bisa saja belum atau tidak jual di negara kita, atau bisa juga merupakan buku tua yang sudah tidak lagi diterbitkan oleh penerbit manapun. Tentunya sebagai pembaca buku, kita berharap buku-buku yang menurut kita sangatlah penting dan berpengaruh ini dapat pula dibaca dan mengubah hidup pembaca-pembaca lain secara positif di luar sana. Dalam kesempatan ini, saya akan berbagi perspektif mengenai 10 buku yang menurut saya seharusnya secara periodik terus dicetak ulang dan akan berumur panjang (tapi tidak dalam urutan).

#14 no title

It's 2017 and unsurprisingly the quotes (from Grey's Anatomy) still relatable

I don't get it when I see people glorify love and romance and especially when they say they are happy in love, especially then. I don't get it when people say they believe in love and they will work hard to find it, when they do whatever in their might searching for someone they want so much to rely on, to spend life until death sets them apart. I don't get it why people can just be okay with when they're in love, when they let themselves absorbed wholly by the whirlpool of the emotional turbulence because of love.

I don't understand why it becomes the societal norm, why it is globally agreed as normal and seemingly nobody feels bothered by it. I don't understand why every new generation conforms to the habitude when they are ruled by the desperation of romance, by the helpless need of love. Why is it that everyone simply gives themselves in to the notion of love? Why isn't there anyone who sues or objects to such tradition that has been lasting for so many millenniums? Why on earth did love become part of our civilization? Why on earth did love emerge as one of our evolutionary behaviors? If it's just for the sake of species reproduction, lust can be really enough.

Nobody knows us, not even us, not even anyone

PS: I don't know where the quotes are originally authored by, thus I cannot provide citation. Please tell me in case you know. Thanks