POETRY
READING BY CHRISTOPHER MERILL & EDDIN KHOO
A
session of poetry reading by Christopher Merill and Eddin Khoo on
7th May 2004 , Friday, 9.00 pm at rumahYKP.
The
KALA - MERILL Project
The
Kala Translation Project commences with the publication of a collection of poems
by American poet and writer, Christopher Merill. The collection, tranlated by
Malaysian poet and essayist Edin Khoo, will be published in May 2004. This first
visit to rumahYKP is part of their series of events hosted by Kala in their efforts
to bridge relationship and understanding with our society.
s
About
Kala
Kala
is an independent publishing house founded to provide a platform for the publication
of creative and scholarly literature, particularly in translation, in the Malay
language. The publishing venture seeks to address the significant absence of activity
in the publication of progressive and informative literature in the Malay language.
Since
the implementation of the National Cultural Policy of 1972, the principal tasks
of developing, formalising and systematising the Malay language have been bequeathed
to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (National Literary Agency). The Agency has also
been entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing publishing activity and literary
culture in the Malay language.
The
Kala publishing venture grew from a realisation that the process of institutionalising
and confining literary and publishing activity has had a deleterious effect, leading,
inevitably, to an enervation of literary and scholarly culture in the Malay language.
It
seeks to address this decline by providing alternative and autonomous space for
the nurturing of an independent and liberal literary culture in Malay. Meanwhile,
in asserting the importance of translation, it also seeks to inspire the experience
of inter cultural awareness and appreciation.
Kala's
bi-annual literary journal will attempt to highlight the convergence of these
experiences with sections devoted to original writing in Malay and literature
in translation.
By
relating its work and activities to larger social, economic and political realities,
Kala seeks to understand and emphasize the importance of language, culture and
literacy in a rapidly transforming society.
As
a result, the publishing house strives to engage a broad and expansive audience.
Kala's publishing output is confined to a 1000 copies for each title published.
100 copies will be used for promotional purposes; 300 copies will be distributed
and sold in bookstores nationwide; 200 copies will be sold to various charitable
and non profit organisations for distribution among their constituencies; 400
remaining copies will be purchased by university, district and state libraries,
and the National Library respectively.
Profits
obtained by Kala will be wielded to facilitate further publishing activity. Kala
acknowledges that culture and literature remains areas in the Malaysian experience
that continues to be largely underdeveloped and ignored. In grappling with this
neglect, Kala commits itself to providing alternatives to the increasingly dogmatic
tenor of cultural dialogue in Malaysia and exploring the integrity and scope of
the Malay language for the creation of a profound and insightful tradition of
contemporary literary expression.
The
Kala Translation Project
The
Kala Translation Project aspires to create a comprehensive library of literature
and scholarship, translated from the world's languages, into the Malay language.
At present, translation activity remains a largely erratic and unimportant aspect
in the literary experience of the Malay language (comprising less than 1% of the
entire publishing output in Malay).
By
initiating this project, Kala seeks to establish translation as a disciplined
literary endeavour, gathering a community of translators from a variety of languages
and establishing a tradition of publishing devoted to translation into Malay.
Projected
translations have been categorised according to a broad "Library Series."
Translating and publishing activity, while expansive, cannot, at present, be definitive.
Rather, its objective is to create a range of literature and scholarship that
advances expansive culture of learning and readership. Among the "Library
Series" that will be launched are:
·
The Library of America
· The Library of Britain and Ireland
·
The Indian Library
· The Chinese Library
· The Japanese
Library
· The Library of Southeast Asia
· The Library of
Arabic
· The Library of Islamic Scholarship
· The French
Library
· The Library of Writings on Malaysia
The
Kala Translation Project seeks to redress the lack of contact and engagement between
the Malay language and the literatures and languages of the world.
The
Kala Translation Project commences with the publication of a collection of poems
by the American poet and writer, Christopher Merrill. The collection, translated
by Malaysian poet and essayist Eddin Khoo, will be published in May 2004 and will
include a visit by the author and a series of events, readings, engagements and
events hosted by Kala.
Biographical
Briefs:
The
Poet ~ Christopher Merrill
Born 1957
Christopher
Merrill's books include four collections of poetry, Brilliant Water, Workbook,
Fevers & Tides, and Watch Fire, for which he received the Peter I. B. Lavan
Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets; translations of Aleš
Debeljak's Anxious Moments and The City and the Child; several edited volumes,
among them, The Forgotten Language: Contemporary Poets and Nature and From the
Faraway Nearby: Georgia O'Keeffe as Icon; and three books of nonfiction, The Grass
of Another Country: A Journey Through the World of Soccer, The Old Bridge: The
Third Balkan War and the Age of the Refugee, and Only the Nails Remain: Scenes
from the Balkan Wars. His work has been translated into sixteen languages. He
has held the William H. Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters at the College of
the Holy Cross, and now directs the International Writing Program at The University
of Iowa.
The
Translator ~ Eddin Khoo
Born 1969
Eddin
Khoo, of Chinese-Indian parentage, is a poet, writer and translator. He was born
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1969.
He
studied Political Thought and Islamic Philosophy at the University of Newcastle
Upon Tyne, United Kingdom and Southeast Asian Art and Archaeology at the School
of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, where he was a British
High Commissioner's Chevening scholar.
Following
a tenure as an arts and culture journalist with the Sunday Star ~ Malaysia's leading
English language weekly ~ he founded Pusaka - Centre for the Study and Documentation
of Traditional Performance in Malaysia (www.pusaka.com.my) and the publishing
house, Kala, which devotes itself to publishing literary translations from the
world's languages into Malay.
Eddin
Khoo has worked intimately with some of Malaysia's leading traditional artists
including shadow puppeteers, musicians, dramatists and dancers. He has focused
principally on the northeast Malaysian state of Kelantan, researching aspects
of oral transmission, cultural and religious politics and aspects of ritual in
traditional theatre. He is also an apprentice shadow puppeteer and student to
the renowned puppeteer Dalang Abdullah Ibrahim, better known as Dollah Baju Merah
(Dollah with the Red Shirt). He is presently adapting and will perform, for the
shadow screen, Lessing's Nathan the Wise and Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.
Eddin
Khoo has co-authored a book on traditional Malay Wood Carving, The Spirit of Wood
(New York, Singapore; Charles E. Tuttle, Periplus, 2003) and in 2004 will publish
All the World's Figures ~ a collection of original poems; a translation into Malay
of two books, including a collection of poems by the American poet Christopher
Merrill and the novel Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree by Tariq Ali; a translation
into English of a collection of poems, Suppose We Were in Sarajevo by the Indonesian
poet Goenawan Mohamad; continue recording and transcribing My Story ~ The Autobiography
of a Shadow Puppeteer by Dalang Abdullah Ibrahim. His translation, into Malay,
of Melville's Moby Dick will be published in 2005. He is presently also completing
a book on Muslim culture, society and politics entitled The Muslim Predicament.
Eddin
Khoo divides his time between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu, Kelantan in Malaysia
Artikel
Terbaru
Ziarah Seni Christopher Merrill: Ungkap Wajah Hodoh Perang.
Oleh : Amirul Fakir.
amirulfakir@yahoo.co.uk
KETIKA
dihubungi oleh Eddin Khoo, seorang penulis dan pengkaji budaya tentang hasratnya
untuk melakukan ziarah seni ke Yayasan Kesenian Perak (YKP) bersama-sama dengan
penyair tersohor dari Amerika baru-baru ini, kuratornya Nurhanim agak kaget dan
berdebar-debar. Ini bukanlah kerana YKP tidak pernah menerima tetamu dari luar
negara tetapi tarikh kunjungan yang dijadualkan begitu singkat sedang beliau begitu
berharap agar peluang ini dapat dimanfaatkan oleh para penggiat dan pencinta seni
di sekitar bandar raya Ipoh untuk bersama mencicipi pengalaman seni lewat kunjungan
tersebut. Demikian yang dimaklumkan oleh beliau sewaktu meraikan kehadiran tetamu
dan sebagai apologi terhadap kehadiran khalayak yang kurang memberangsangkan.
Pertemuan pada malam tersebut agak santai dan Eddin Khoo seorang eseis budaya
dan penterjemah,telah memperkenalkan Christopher Merril sebagai penyair, penterjemah
dan penulis bebas kelahiran Amerika tahun 1957. Beliau pernah menyandang kursi
William H. Jenks dalam bidang persuratan kontemporari di Holy Cross College, kini
merupakan professor bahasa Inggeris dan pengarah bagi International Writing Program
di Universiti Iowa. Empat kumpulan puisi beliau telah diterbitkan iaitu Brilliant
Water, Workbook, Fever & Tides dan Watch Fire yang mana kumpulan puisi mutakhir
ini telah menerima anugerah; The Peter I.B. Lavan Younger Poets daripada The Academy
Of American Poets.
Penyair tersohor ini turut menangani kerja penterjemahan
hasil karya pengarang Eropah Timur dan di antaranya karya Ales Debeljak's; Anxious
Moments and The City and The Child, From the Faraway Nearby: Georgia O' Keeffe
as Icon dan beberapa karya terjemahan yang lain. Manakala karya non-fiksi garapan
beliau ialah The Grass of Another Country: A Journey Through the World of Soccer,
The Old Bridge: The Third Balkan War and The Age of the Refugee serta Only The
Nails Remain: Scene from the Balkan Wars. Karyanya telah diterjemahkan ke dalam
enam belas bahasa.
Christopher Merrill ketika diberikan kesempatan untuk tampil, telah membacakan
cuplikan daripada buku yang baru sahaja diterbitkan iaitu Only The Nails Remain:
Scene from the Balkan Wars bagi memberi gambaran tentang situasi perang di negara
Balkan itu daripada pengamatan seorang wartawan bebas. Menjelaskan berkenaan cuplikan
prosa yang dibacakannya itu, beliau menyatakan bagi mengekalkan 'kewarasan'nya
dalam berhadapan dengan kancah peperangan, beliau terpaksa menulis. Malah menurutnya
pengalaman di Sarajevo menjadikan beliau begitu menghargai arti kehidupan dan
makhluk di sekelilingnya.
Apatah lagi tatkala beliau mengalami sendiri saat dihujani peluru daripada penembak
curi (snipper) yang bagi warga di sana adalah suatu rutin dalam hidup mereka.
Untuk mengatasi trauma itu, beliau setiap hari akan ke kawasan tragedi dan menulis
bagi melenyapkan ketakutan yang menghantui diri. Hampir 70 000 pelarian perang
yang terpaksa bersembunyi di bukit dan gunung dengan segala kepayahan dan kesengsaraan.
Manakala setiap lima belas minit pula akan ada orang awam dan kanak-kanak yang
menjadi korban puak Serb. Ini amat meruntun nuraninya untuk menukilkan di dalam
buku tersebut.
Oleh kerana ingin merasai kegetiran dan keperitan dalam situasi perang, beliau
lebih rela menumpang di kem perlindungan daripada menginap di Hotel Holiday Inn
yang dikhaskan kepada wartawan perang. Waima pernah tidak mandi selama tiga minggu
lantaran ketiadaan air dan elektrik akibat serangan puak Serbia ketika itu. Pergaulan
dan persahabatannya dengan orang tempatan menjadikannya risi untuk menyarung jaket
keselamatan United Nation yang dikhaskan kerana berasa tidak adil baginya berlindung
di sebalik jaket itu sedang teman-teman yang digauli, saban detik terdedah dengan
ancaman maut. Tambahan pula jaket itu amat diminati kalangan pencuri yang sememangnya
berleluasa di sana.
Menggauli dunia para seniman di Sarajevo memberikan dampak yang cukup berarti
dalam penghasilan karyanya, lantaran dapat menyelami akan upaya para seniman itu
melahirkan karya-karya mereka dengan begitu intens dan menghargai setiap detik
yang dinikmati agar dapat memberi makna kerana sedar bahawa hidup bisa berakhir
tanpa pamitan. Namun di sebalik dentuman bom dan peluru, aktivitis seni tetap
tegar menampilkan berbagai persembahan terutama teater. Malah pencinta seni juga
tidak mengecewakan, tetap menghadiri acara biarpun terpaksa berhadapan dengan
serangan penembak curi.
Sepanjang berada di negara Balkan itu, beliau tidak menghasilkan sebarang puisi
kerana berasa adalah lebih wajar ianya dilahirkan oleh para penyair di sana yang
baginya pasti lebih menusuk pengucapan puisinya. Ini dijelaskan oleh beliau ketika
membacakan beberapa buah puisi seperti Childhood, The Sea dan Fables daripada
kumpulan puisinya; Watch Fire yang diterjemahkan pula oleh Eddin Khoo ke dalam
Bahasa Melayu. Menurut beliau lagi, puisi-puisi yang dibacakan itu adalah imbauan
daripada zaman lampaunya ketika kecil dan alam percintaannya yang mengasyikkan.
Penyair mapan, Suhaimi Hj.Muhammad yang hadir pada malam itu, begitu tertarik
dengan puisi yang berjudul ; Fables, karya Chritopher Merrill, lantaran bersesuaian
dengan aliran surrealisme yang menjadi identiti beliau dalam dunia perpuisian
tanah air, meminta izin untuk membacakan beberapa buah puisi yang beraliran sedemikian,
daripada kumpulan puisi dwi bahasa beliau berjudul ; Tulang (Bones). Manakala
Eddin Khoo diminta agar membacakan versi Inggeris bagi puisi-puisi tersebut.
Ketika menjawab beberapa persoalan yang dilontarkan oleh tokoh seniman dan khalayak
yang hadir, antaranya Prof.Madya Dr.Zakaria Ali dan Raja Ahmad Aminullah, Christopher
Merrill secara jujur mendedahkan corak pemberitaan di Bosnia adalah lebih saksama
dan dapat dipercayai sedangkan apa yang berlaku di Iraq kini penuh dengan muslihat
dan wartawan perang sudah ditunggangi serta tidak bebas dalam melaporkan peristiwa.
Ini begitu memalukan bagi sejarah kewartawanan, tegas beliau.
Namun beliau berasa amat bersyukur kerana tidak terlibat dalam persekongkolan
tersebut. Malahan rasa syukur itu mulai dikecapinya sebaik sahaja beliau berjaya
keluar dari bumi Sarajevo dengan hayat yang masih dimiliki meskipun kesedihan
tetap membekas kerana 'meninggalkan' teman-teman yang sering membantunya tatkala
harus berdepan dengan maut. Sebagai menghargai pengorbanan teman-temannya itulah
beliau sentiasa menulis tentang pengalamannya di medan perang hatta di dalam majalah
sukan.
Sepertimana yang didedahkannya pada khalayak pada malam itu, tentang
kisah seorang pemain bola Bosnia yang terselamat daripada maut dan hanya ditempatkan
di kem tahanan selama tiga bulan sebelum dibebaskan lantaran dikenali oleh askar
Serbia yang menawannya ! Segalanya ini dilakukan oleh beliau dengan harapan peminat
sukan turut memahami situasi perang dan dapat pula menyedarkan dunia betapa dahsyat
dan hodohnya wajah perang.
Sebelum mengakhiri luahan hati dan bicaranya, Christopher
Merril sempat melontarkan pendapat tentang dunia kepengarangan. Bagi pandangan
beliau, penulis hanya ada dua kategori iaitu yang berjaya dan yang terus berusaha
dalam menampilkan hasil karya dan gagasannya. Untuk itu seorang penulis yang masih
berusaha perlu memiliki ketahanan dan stamina yang jitu demi melangsungkan hayat
kepengarangannya, ujar beliau sambil mengorak senyum yang penuh bermakna.
