Fireflies In Manhattan

Born in Ngawi, East Java, in 1932, Umar Kayam obtained his masters degree from New York University and his doctoral degree from Cornell University. It was there, in New York, where he began to hone his literary skills. The publication of his first collection of short stories, A Thousand Fireflies in Manhattan, in 1972, gained him national fame as a short story writer. The light and semi-ironic tone of Kayam's "New York stories," in which the author viewed an archetypal cast of New York characters through the lens of a nai ve Indonesian outsider vanished completely in the next phase of the author's career when he dealt with the impact of the incarceration and killings of hundreds of thousands of Communists or alleged Communists that took place after the rise of Soeharto's militaristic regime. Kayam's highly nuanced portraits of the innocent victims of "1965" again earned him critical acclaim. Kayam was a regular contributor to the literary column of "Kompas," the nation's largest newspaper, and during the third and final stage of the author's literary career, it became an almost annual event for him to contribute a story about Lebaran, the holiday that marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, a time when millions of Indonesians who have moved from the communities where they were born attempt against numerous odds to return home. The stories produced by Kayam during the three stages of his literary career vary greatly in subject matter and tone. What binds them together is that in each and every one, one hears is the voice of the common man.

*The most unusual novel you will read all year, where you create your own story* 'An ingenious choose-your-own-adventure challenge' Lauren Elkin, Guardian Longlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize You've grown roots, you're gathering moss. You're desperate to escape your boring life teaching English in Jakarta, to go out and see the world. So you make a Faustian pact with a devil, who gives you a gift, and a warning. A pair of red shoes to take you wherever you want to go. Turn the page and make your choice. You may become a tourist or an undocumented migrant, a mother or a murderer, and you will meet other travellers with their own stories to tell. Freedom awaits but borders are real. And no story is ever new. 'Sets you free to roam the Earth... an incisive commentary on the cosmopolitan condition' Tiffany Tsao 'An electrifying novel about cosmopolitanism and global nomadism that keeps readers on their toes' Book Riot Winner of an English PEN Translates Award, and a Heim Translation Fund Grant from PEN America

Mayasari-Hoffert examines the depiction of the Left in Indonesian literature since the anti-leftist purge in 1965. With close textual analysis of Indonesian literary texts and their political context, this book investigates how the New Order regime under Suharto was able to build a metanarrative of liberation while purging the Left in Indonesia. Even after the regime’s end in 1998, many Indonesians still have an ingrained fear of the prospect of Communism, with the result being that literary representation of the Left is still seen as problematic. Through reviewing Indonesia’s institution of literature, the use and abuse of universal humanism under the New Order regime is examined, and the ways in which power intersects with literature is explored. An informative read for scholars and students of Indonesian politics, literature, and the cultural cold war.

Winner of the 2023 PEN Translation Prize Winner of the 2023 NSW Premier’s Translation Prize An eerie, alienating, yet comic and profoundly sympathetic short story collection about Americans in America by one of Indonesia’s most prominent writers, now in an English translation for its fortieth anniversary, with a foreword by Intan Paramaditha A Penguin Classic In these seven stories of People from Bloomington, our peculiar narrators find themselves in the most peculiar of circumstances and encounter the most peculiar of people. Set in Bloomington, Indiana, where the author lived as a graduate student in the 1970s, this is far from the idyllic portrait of small-town America. Rather, sectioned into apartment units and rented rooms, and gridded by long empty streets and distances traversable only by car, it’s a place where the solitary can all too easily remain solitary; where people can at once be obsessively curious about others, yet fail to form genuine connections with anyone. The characters feel their loneliness acutely and yet deliberately estrange others. Budi Darma paints a realist world portrayed through an absurdist frame, morbid and funny at the same time. For decades, Budi Darma has influenced and inspired many writers, artists, filmmakers, and readers in Indonesia, yet his stories transcend time and place. With The People from Bloomington, Budi Darma draws us to a universality recognized by readers around the world—the cruelty of life and the difficulties that people face in relating to one another while negotiating their own identities. The stories are not about “strangeness” in the sense of culture, race, and nationality. Instead, they are a statement about how everyone, regardless of nationality or race, is strange, and subject to the same tortures, suspicions, yearnings, and peculiarities of the mind.

"Perhaps we shall never know the truth about Indonesia's failed (supposedly Communist) coup of 1965. But the consequences were clear: the fall of President Sukarno and rise to power of General Suharto plus violent suppression of all "Communist" organizations. In the process a half million lives were lost." "This book analyses Indonesian literature produced during the New Order period dealing with the events of 1965-1966 and its consequences. It examines the political coercion that people were subjected to and how the authors deal with the taboo subject of the killings. It also considers how the Communist Party was seen and discusses the underlying reasons for why the fictional characters act as they do. Crucial here is the influence of Javanese culture and the significance of President Sukarno's political concept of Nasakom." "This is the first book-length study presenting the alternative version found in Indonesian literature of the events of 1965-1966. It also demonstrates that the concerns and perceptions of Indonesian writers differ sharply from those of Westerners."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

An intriguing novel focusing on childhood sexual abuse and the value of nurturing relationships to overcome the aftermath.

This is the first comprehensive firefly guide for eastern and central North America ever published. It is written for all those who want to know more about the amazing world of lightning bugs and learn the secrets hidden in the flash patterns of the 75+ species found in the eastern and central U.S. and Canada. As an independent researcher working with numerous university teams, naturalist Lynn Frierson Faust, “The Lightning Bug Lady,” has spent decades tracking the behavior and researching the habitats of these fascinating creatures. Based on her twenty-five years of field work, this book is intended to increase understanding and appreciation of bioluminescent insects while igniting enthusiasm in a fun and informative way. Species accounts are coupled with historical background and literary epigraphs to engage and draw readers young and old into the world of these tiny sparklers. A chart documenting the flash patterns of the various species will aid in identification. Clear photos illustrate the insects’ distinguishing physical characteristics, while habitats, seasonality, and common names are provided in clear, easy-to-understand yet scientifically accurate language. The guide will be welcomed by everyone who wants to learn more about fireflies' and glow-worms' unique traits and about their fragile niche in the ecosystem. FEATURES Over 600 color photographsDetailed accounts and anatomical diagrams of 75+ species, as well as aids in distinguishing between similar speciesA first-of-its-kind flash-pattern chart that folds out on heavy-weight paper • Extensive scientific details written in an understandable and engaging wayColorful, common names—Twilight Bush Baby, Shadow Ghosts, and Snappy Syncs, and more—for easy species identification based on flash patternsTips on ideal sites and times of year for firefly watchingConservation-oriented approach

FLINS, originally an acronym for Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Technologies in Nuclear Science, is now extended to Computational Intelligence for applied research. The contributions to the 10th of FLINS conference cover state-of-the-art research, development, and technology for computational intelligence systems, both from the foundations and the applications points-of-view.