Taufiq Ismail

Taufiq Ismail

Taufiq Ismail
Born 25 June 1935 (1935-06-25) (age 76)
Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Nationality  Indonesia
Ethnicity Minang
Genres Poetry
Literary movement Angkatan '66
Notable award(s) Anugerah Seni, Pemerintah RI. (1970)
Spouse(s) Esiyati Ismail (née Yatim)

Taufiq Ismail is an Indonesian poet and author, devout Muslim, and a committed activist.[1] Ismail figured prominently in Indonesian literature of the post-Sukarno period and is considered one of the pioneers of the "Generation of '66".[2] He completed his education at the University of Indonesia. Before becoming active as a writer, he taught at the Institut Pertanian Bogor. In 1963, he signed the "Cultural Manifesto"; a document that opposed linking art to politics. This cost him his teaching position at the Institut.

Ismail wrote many poems, of which the best-known are Malu (Aku) Jadi Orang Indonesia, Tirani dan Benteng, Tirani, Benteng, Buku Tamu Musim Perjuangan, Sajak Ladang Jagung, Kenalkan, Saya Hewan, Puisi-puisi Langit, Prahara Budaya : Kilas Balik Ofensif Lekra, Ketika Kata Ketika Warna and Seulawah-Antologi Sastra Aceh. Bored with his serious style, in 1970 he began writing poems mixed with humor. He has won many awards, including the "Cultural Visit Award" from the Australian government (1977) and the S.E.A. Write Award (1994).

Contents

Biography

Early life

Taufiq Ismail was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, June 25, 1935). He grew up from teacher and journalist family. He wanted to become writer since he was on High School. His reading hobby was more and more satisfied, when Taufiq became the librarian in Pelajar Islam Indonesia Pekalongan's library. While maintaining the library, he was freely reading the works of Chairil Anwar, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, until William Saroyan and Karl May. He not only read books about literature but also the books about history, politics, and religion. [3]

He then attended High School in Pekalongan, Central Java and then he also attended Whitefish Bay High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was able to school in Whitefish Bay because the scholarship of student exchange from American Field Service International. There he read the works of Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman. He also liked Ernest Hemingway novel, The Old Man and the Sea.[3]

Career

Originally Taufiq used to work as veterinarian and husbandry expert because he wanted to have a farm business in order to support his literary ideals, however he failed to have a farm business which he had planned in an island in Strait of Malacca.

Ismail was a joint editor of Horison, a literary magazine, along with Ds. Muljanto, Zaini, Su Hok Djin, and Goenawan Mohamad. Horison was started in July 1966 by Mochtar Lubis and HB Jassin as a successor to Sastra.[4] He remains active writing for the magazine as a senior editor. [5] He was a prominent member of the Jakarta Arts Council (Dewan Kesenian Jakarta)and was head of the Jakarta Arts Education Institute (Lembaga Pendidikan Kesenian Jakarta) from 1973 to 1978. [2]

Personal life

Taufiq Ismail married Esiyati Ismail (née Yatim) at 1971, they have one son Abraham "Bram" Ismail.

Works

  1. Manifestasi (1963) (alongside Goenawan Mohamad, Hartojo Andangjaya, et al.)
  2. Benteng (1966)
  3. Tirani (1966)
  4. Puisi-puisi Sepi (1971)
  5. Kota, Pelabuhan, Ladang, Angin, dan Langit (1971)
  6. Buku Tamu Museum Perjuangan (1972)
  7. Sajak Ladang Jagung (1973)
  8. Puisi-puisi Langit (1990)
  9. Ismail, Taufiq (1993) (in Indonesian). Tirani Dan Benteng. Jakarta: Yayasan Ananda. ISBN 9789798424007. 
  10. Moeljanto, D.S.; Ismail, Taufiq (1995) (in Indonesian). Prahara budaya : kilas-balik ofensif Lekra/PKI dkk. : kumpulan dokumen pergolakan sejarah. Bandung: Diterbitkan atas kerja sama Penerbit Mizan dan H.U. Republika. ISBN 9789794330647. 
  11. Ara, L.K.; Ismail, Taufiq; Ks, Hasyim, eds (1995) (in Indonesian). Seulawah, antologi sastra Aceh sekilas pintas. Jakarta: Yayasan Nusantara. ISBN 9789798889004. 
  12. Ismail, Taufiq (1998) (in Indonesian). Malu (aku) jadi orang Indonesia. Jakarta: Yayasan Ananda. ISBN 9789798424045.  (literally means ( I ) Shamed to be Indonesian, this work was published after Indonesian 1998 Revolution, this work is about Ismail's criticism about the government)
  13. Ismail, Taufiq, ed (2004). Horison esai Indonesia : sastra Indonesia dalam program Sastrawan Bicara Siswa Bertanya (SBSB) 2003. Jakarta: Horison. ISBN 9789799822000. 
  14. Ismail, Taufiq (2004). Katastrofi mendunia : Marxisma, Leninisma, Stalinisma, Maoisma, narkoba. Jakarta: Yayasan Titik Infinitum. ISBN 9789799885708. 
  15. Ismail, Taufiq (2008). Mengakar ke bumi, menggapai ke langit (4 volume set). 1-4. Jakarta: Panitia 55 Tahun Taufiq Ismail dalam Sastra Indonesia dan Majalah Sastra Horizon. ISBN 9789799822086. 

In English

In Russian

References and sources

References
  1. ^ Roskies, David M. E., ed (1997). Black clouds over the Isle of Gods and other modern Indonesian short stories. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. p. 202. ISBN 9780765600325. 
  2. ^ a b Teeuw, A. (1979). Modern Indonesian literature. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. ISBN 9024723086. OCLC 462738753. 
  3. ^ a b Gary Kong (21 August 2009). "From Vet Science to Scribe: Inside the Life of One of Indonesia’s Favorite Writers" (in English). The Jakarta Post (Jakarta). http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/taufiq-ismails-poetic-protest/325313. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  4. ^ Teeuw, A. (1967) (in English). Modern Indonesian literature. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. pp. 253-254. OCLC 462738753. 
  5. ^ Emmy Fitri; Iwan Setiawan (15 June 2008). "Taufiq Ismail: A constant battle against ignorance" (in English). The Jakarta Post (Jakarta). http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/06/15/taufiq-ismail-a-constant-battle-against-ignorance.html. Retrieved 16 November 2011. 
Sources