Q + A

Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming collection?

Balada Ching-Ching (BCC) is a collection of 13 short stories. Some of the stories go as far back as the early 2000s. The book is published in Bahasa; but a great part of it was originally written in English. If I had to summarize the book’s content, I think I would emphasize on the fact that, ultimately, BCC is a string of dramatic cruxes that drive the lives of 13 protagonists. Each story in the collection is different from one another; but the connecting thread among them would be the dramatic value embedded in every scene, and dialogue.

Is this your first book?

This is my second collection. The first one was titled Homecoming (and other stories) — but it’s written in English.

What would you say is the major difference between writing in Bahasa and in English?

Technically, there is no difference. But in terms of voice and flow, it’s very different. For me, the major difference lies mostly in my state of mind. I think differently when I write in Bahasa, as I do when I write in English. When I write in Bahasa, I feel like writing about that part of me which belongs to Indonesia, or Asia; whereas when I write in English, the voice seems to have changed into that which belongs to a worldly person, or someone who’s been around the block, per se. In that I can freely embody characters that aren’t necessarily Asian, or Indonesian. I don’t know why that is.

Have you always wanted to write short stories?

No. God, no. Short stories are extremely hard to write. I’m not even 100% sure I’m doing it right. The first fiction I published were short stories—I was 15. But I didn’t write short stories out of love; I did it out of … I don’t know, I guess, interest. Then I started writing longer stories, more like streams of consciousness. I had already completed two novels by the time I turned 19—none of which found a home. Perhaps because they were too long; but also because I was young and ambitious and blind about the different elements good stories are meant to have. I went back to writing short stories in my early twenties, mostly because I didn’t have much time to write. But then the more I learned about short stories, the more intrigued I was by its astounding capability to change lives. To alter its readers’ perception on life, love, work. I have, throughout my life, been constantly nudged or tapped by short stories. I adore them. But reading and writing are two different things. At this point, I cannot say I’ve mastered the form. But I try. Very hard.

Who’s your favorite short story writer?

I have a lot of favorites. But if I were to shortlist the ones I love most, it would have to be: Andre Dubus, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, Michael Byers, and—more recently—Joe Hill and Ben Loory.

Most of these are men…

Yes. But it’s purely coincidental. I love stories that speak to me. And it just so happens that the writers of these stories I love are men.

And they’re ALL American…

Okay, maybe that’s not so coincidental. Americans are good at writing drama; and they’re good at evoking certain emotions that, for me, I didn’t know existed, or had often chosen to ignore. However, it doesn’t mean I only like to read American stories—or that non-American writers are no good. It’s just that, in my life, I’ve been moved by (largely) American stories.

Do the stories featured in BCC come from personal experiences?

As an author, I don’t think there’s a definite way to answer this question. They are all a little of both, I think. Fact and fiction. You have to have some kind of connection with the stories you’re writing in order for them to sound, read, and feel genuine; but to turn them into readable stories there usually needs to be some imagination involved. Or else, you’d be writing a memoir.

Your expectations for BCC?

Every author wants their books to sell well. More than that, extremely well. But as much as I like to dream; I think I ought to be realistic. I’d love for BCC to sell well; but better than that I’d like it to find a life of its own. In that I hope it can do for others what other collections have done for me.