And alongside this wonderful book and poem are these lines from a 2024 interview with author Afrizal Malna from Asymptote Journal:
These events gave rise to an obsession, or an agitation: “Can language shake? Can meaning convulse?” It was a new challenge for the practice of writing poetry. …
… For me, the structure of the poem and the way the words are placed resemble an earthquake with its propensity to convulse, which perhaps can shake up the balance in reading. Jakarta is positioned as a city of politics and economics, in accordance with its status as the capital. …
I think I must be very sensitive to influence. Every time that the rain and wind arrive, it rattles me. An influence then becomes a kind of laboratory for opening things up, and then it’s as if I’ve received a new path for writing. This makes it hard for me to identify a particular poem or a particular poet that has influenced me directly. The trace has already vanished. I’m happier with saying, for instance, that my poetry is written by many poets.
You can find the book Document Shredding Museum from World Poetry Books here.
Share this post