Jakarta - An American book writer, Rabih Alameddine exchanged ideas and discussed his book, The Hakawati, with members of Jakarta Art Council at the HB Yassin Documentation Center in the Taman Ismail Marzuki complex on Monday.
Alameddine was invited by the US Embassy to Indonesia in its Cultural Envoy Program.
The Hakawati explains the importance of being heard to stay `human`, he said.
"We might be talking to each other, but a lot of time we don`t really hear of what the other person is saying. Being heard makes us feel human" said Alameddine.
Rabih Alameddine who grew up in Lebanon disagrees with the criticism that his book was a bridge to the Arab soul.
"The Arab soul is huge. This book expresses who I am. It is all about what makes me , who I am," hs said.
Alameddine will meet Indonesian as well as foreign interlocutors across Java and Bali and share and discuss his book `The Hakawati` and meet some of its readers.
He will also explain the messages reflected on his book that can strengthen relationships with cultural institutions, the artistic community and broader audiences in the US and Indonesia.
"If you want to write, the first thing you should do is just write and see what will happen. But, don`t forget to finish your writing," he said laughing when asked to give advice for new writers.
Moreover, the other important thing to write well is reading, he said.According to him, the best writing was that which makes the reader say `I don`t know who this reminds me of`.
Alameddine, whose parents are Lebanese, had written four books, namely Koolaids, I, The Divine, the story collection The Perv, and most recently, The Hakawati.Alameddine was the recipient of a Gugenheim Foundation fellowship in 2002.
He is scheduled to tour Indonesia from October 4-15 and from Jakarta he will travel to Ubud and Yogyakarta.(*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
Alameddine was invited by the US Embassy to Indonesia in its Cultural Envoy Program.
The Hakawati explains the importance of being heard to stay `human`, he said.
"We might be talking to each other, but a lot of time we don`t really hear of what the other person is saying. Being heard makes us feel human" said Alameddine.
Rabih Alameddine who grew up in Lebanon disagrees with the criticism that his book was a bridge to the Arab soul.
"The Arab soul is huge. This book expresses who I am. It is all about what makes me , who I am," hs said.
Alameddine will meet Indonesian as well as foreign interlocutors across Java and Bali and share and discuss his book `The Hakawati` and meet some of its readers.
He will also explain the messages reflected on his book that can strengthen relationships with cultural institutions, the artistic community and broader audiences in the US and Indonesia.
"If you want to write, the first thing you should do is just write and see what will happen. But, don`t forget to finish your writing," he said laughing when asked to give advice for new writers.
Moreover, the other important thing to write well is reading, he said.According to him, the best writing was that which makes the reader say `I don`t know who this reminds me of`.
Alameddine, whose parents are Lebanese, had written four books, namely Koolaids, I, The Divine, the story collection The Perv, and most recently, The Hakawati.Alameddine was the recipient of a Gugenheim Foundation fellowship in 2002.
He is scheduled to tour Indonesia from October 4-15 and from Jakarta he will travel to Ubud and Yogyakarta.(*)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
