Close Up Interview Anggota Blogger Buku Indonesia

Saking banyaknya anggota Blogger Buku Indonesia, jujur saya nggak apal satu persatu dan blog mereka satu persatu juga. Keterbatasan waktu membuat saya nggak rutin blogwalking dan akhirnya beberapa dari mereka pun terlupakan. Untunglah dalam rangka ulang tahun BBI kedua ini, BBI mengadakan acara "Close Up Interview (CUI)" dimana anggota BBI mewawancarai anggota lainnya agar bisa mengenal lebih dekat.

Untuk kesempatan ini, saya kebagian mewawancara Melisa dari Surgabukuku. Saya jujur lupa dengan blognya sampai saya membuka url-nya dan menemukan quote yang dulu sangat saya suka, tetapi saya lupa membaca dimana.

I have always imagined that paradise would be some kind of library - Jorge Luis Borges

Oh! Ternyata waktu itu saya membaca quote ini dari blog-nya Melisa. Tuh kan, ternyata CUI ini berguna sekali untuk mempertemukan saya dengan blog yang lama sekali udah nggak saya kunjungi.

Deg-degan awalnya, meng-interview orang yang belum kita kenal sama sekali. Setelah bertegur sapa lewat twitter, dan email-emailan, inilah hasil wawancara saya dengan Melisa.

Say hi from Melisa..

Coba deskripsikan Melisa dalam kurang lebih 20 kata.

Seorang perempuan berumur twenty-something, yang suka banget baca novel klasik. Belakangan ini ingin memperbanyak baca karya sastra Indonesia dan buku rohani, tapi sepertinya baru bisa dijalankan tahun depan… L

Masih inget nggak pengalaman pertama Melisa dengan buku, kapan mulai belajar membaca, menyukai membaca, dan buku pertama apa yang dibaca?

Kapan tepatnya nggak ingat, cuma masih ingat yang pertama-tama dibaca itu Majalah Bobo, Donal Bebek, kumpulan dongeng/fairy tales, buku bergambar yang diambil dari film-film Disney, dan cerita anak Tini yang gambarnya cantik banget. Pokoknya dari kecil sudah suka baca, deh... J

Siapa pengarang favorit Melisa dan kenapa?

Banyak nih, gak bisa nyebutin 1 aja! Yang kontemporer J.K. Rowling, Mitch Albom, dan Kate DiCamillo, kalo yang klasik Victor Hugo, Thornton Wilder, Leo Tolstoy, dan Frances Hodgson Burnett. Di luar nama-nama ini, sebenarnya masih banyak yang lain, hehehe... Alasannya, mereka semua amazing dengan gaya menulis masing-masing.

Sejauh ini apa buku favorit Melisa dan kenapa?

Les Miserables-nya Victor Hugo, karena bikin emosi teraduk-aduk. Baca buku ini bisa bikin merasa bahagia banget dan sekaligus merana banget. Suka penggambaran penulis tentang kesempatan kedua dan kekuatan cinta kasih kepada sesama.

Terus sekarang buku apa yang saat ini sedang dibaca?

Lagi baca ulang Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire buat event Hotter Potter. J

Buku apa yang sudah lama ingin dibaca tapi sampai saat ini belum sempat dibaca?

Huaaaaa, ini juga banyak. Diantaranya 3 bukunya Jostein Gaarder (Dunia Sophie, Gadis Jeruk dan Cecilia dan Malaikat Ariel), Sense and Sensibility-nya Jane Austen, Diary of A Young Girl-nya Anne Frank, Winnie-the-Pooh, seri Selamat-nya Andar Ismail, seri Chronicles of Narnia (dulu cuma baca sampai buku ke-2 lalu mandek), dan masih banyak lagi... (persis album kompilasi) (kalau saya lanjutkan jadi makin panjang)

Jika Melisa seorang penulis, buku seperti apa yang ingin kamu tulis?

Kalau non fiksi, saya ingin menyusun buku semacam 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die versi Indonesia, buat 3 kategori: Anak-anak, Remaja, dan Dewasa. Tujuannya supaya orang Indonesia semakin cinta membaca dan buku itu bisa jadi referensi buat masyarakat Indonesia. Tapi, di dalamnya juga harus ada buku-buku sastra Indonesia dong, yang berarti saya juga harus banyak baca buku sastra Indonesia sebelum bisa merealisasikan cita-cita ini. Kalau fiksi saya ingin nulis fiksi sejarah untuk remaja. (biar mereka nggak cuma baca teenlit yang cinta-cintaan doang!)

Seandainya Melisa menjadi produser film atau tv series, kira-kira buku apa yang ingin Melisa adaptasi?

Ingin bikin serial atau miniseri untuk anak-anak deh. Mungkin diangkat dari buku The Penderwicks. Alternatif lain, kan banyak cerpen klasik yang bisa diadaptasi jadi film tuh. Misalnya The Gift of the Magi-nya O. Henry (favoritku) dan cerpen-cerpen horornya Edgar Allan Poe.

Selain blog yang berisi review buku, apakah Melisa memiliki blog lainnya?

Ada... di http://melmarian.wordpress.com. Tapi jarang diupdate, isinya bener-bener ”random” seperti judul blognya, ”Random Thoughts of Melmarian”, banyak curcol dalam bentuk puisi, tapi nggak semuanya bisa diakses publik. (malu euy) :D

Kalau misalnya bisa bertemu dengan penulis/pengarang favorit dan hanya bisa menanyakan satu pertanyaan saja, pertanyaan apa yang ingin ditanyakan?

Sebenarnya bukan penulis favorit sih, tapi seandainya saya bisa ketemu Emily Bronte, saya mau menyelidiki apakah si Emily punya kelainan jiwa atau nggak. (Eh jadinya nggak cuma satu pertanyaan dong ya? Hahahah.) Karena satu-satunya novel yang pernah ditulisnya, Wuthering Heights, berpotensi bikin pembacanya sakit jiwa.

Pernah kehilangan satu buku dan ingin membelinya lagi tapi sudah tidak diterbitkan lagi? Buku apa itu?

Begini ceritanya, karena saya aktif pelayanan di gereja sebagai pengurus komunitas remaja, kadang-kadang mereka (anak remaja) suka pinjam buku ke saya. Sebenernya seneng-seneng aja sih minjemin buku ke mereka, itung-itung menularkan cinta membaca. Nah, ada salah satu anak yang meminjam buku saya yang berjudul Perjalanan Mata dan Hati. Buku itu adalah kumpulan cerpen karya Prima Rusdi yang pernah diterbitkan di majalah CosmoGIRL! saat saya masih remaja dulu *tsaaah. Sampai sekarang, sedihnya, buku itu tak pernah kembali kepada saya dan yang meminjam pun udah bak ditelan bumi. Bagi saya, cerpen-cerpen yang ada di buku tersebut mengena banget buat remaja (putri) khususnya, dan iya, buku itu sudah tidak dicetak lagi. Kalau ingat buku ini masih sakit hati rasanya, huhuhu! L

Link review Perjalanan Mata dan Hati: http://surgabukuku.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/perjalanan-mata-dan-hati/

Siapa karakter favorit dari buku dan kenapa?

Suka banget sama karakter Jane Eyre dari buku berjudul sama karangan Charlotte Bronte. Memang kisah Jane Eyre ”nafas”nya feminis, tapi saya merasa karakter Jane sangat membumi dan ia dikisahkan bukannya mau mengalahkan  kaum pria, tapi berjuang supaya ia bisa menjadi seorang perempuan yang merdeka dalam berpikir maupun bertindak. Salah satu quote dari buku tersebut: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” Ah, jadi pengen baca ulang! Ada satu fakta menarik, Charlotte Bronte penulis buku ini, lahir pada tanggal 21 April, sama seperti Raden Ajeng Kartini.

Punya toko buku favorit, online maupun offline?

Bookdepository.com (atau .co.uk) yang free ongkir nyaris ke seluruh dunia, dan punya koleksi novel klasik yang murah meriah (dari harga sekitar USD 3 aja sudah bisa dapat 1 buku). Selain itu, kalau beli buku di Bookdepository, bakal dapet bookmarks yang collectible (sayangnya kadang-kadang nggak dapet juga). Memang kalau beli buku di Bookdepository harus menunggu sekitar sebulan atau malah lebih, tapi sejauh ini toko buku online ini tetap yang masih favorit.

Yang terakhir, harapan Melisa untuk BBI kedepannya?

Semoga BBI ke depannya bisa semakin menjadi acuan bagi calon pembaca & pembeli buku, bahkan yang bukan blogger sekalipun. Kalau bisa di toko-toko offline ada komputer yang bisa mengakses blog-blog buku gitu. Kalau di toko buku online ada blogroll yang mengarah ke alamat URL blog-blog buku. Dan semoga BBI juga bisa mendorong semakin banyak orang Indonesia supaya cinta membaca, terutama sih generasi muda. J

That's it! Buat yang mau lebih kena Melisa, bisa juga mampir ke alamat ini: http://surgabukuku.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/answering-21-questions-about-me/ J

Sampai juga lagi. Thank you Melisa yang sabar jawabin pertanyaan saya yang beruntun. J

Interview with Sitta Karina

I was very excited to feature this author. Sitta Karina, in my opinion, is one of best author in Indonesia. The way she writes, makes everyone who reading her story feel special. She writes many books, some of them are family related fiction, well-known as Hanafiah. Sitta tells story from every members of Hanafiah family attractively. Beside Hanafiah, Sitta also writes fantasy story, and some articles for CosmoGirl! Indonesia. Here is my interview with her. Lucky me, she was able to make time for answering some questions while she is busy with deadlines, and of course her pregnancy. :)

(image from sittakarina.com)

Hello Sitta. As everyone knows, you are famed by writing Hanafiah story. Hanafiah is recognized as wealthy family, who have sophisticated lifestyle. Well, I wonder if you have any idea to create another family story, but with different background, for example middle life?

Of course, and actually I've already had. Social background in "Kencana" and "Circa" is coming from middle circle, indeed. So will Syadiran and Aslan's family. Thing that should be concerned is there are some kinds of middle circle nowadays. Lot of people ride BMW and Benz, whereas they are coming from middle circle. But, they are strong middle class people, not old money people, like conglomerate or former official who settle in Menteng.

Some of Hanafiah character seems to be real for readers. They even have twitter account. Are they real? Or maybe Sitta was inspired by someone when creating them?

Basically, their characters are combination of a few people's character that I've already known and recognize. If it said real, yes, they are real. Although in the story, the characters are combined with my own imagination.

Many loyal readers are waiting for next Hanafiah story. Who is next character who will be appointed to your next book?

I am actually having a "break" in writing Hanafiah. But to fulfill your request, there is novelette about Reno Hanafiah, titled "Dunia Mara", which will published as E-Book.

From all of your character, I personally love Austin Hanafiah in Titanium. If someday, Titanium will be filmed, who's most appropriate actor to perform Austin?

Honestly I have no idea. I think there's no suitable local actor to perform Austin's role now.

Last question. Beside writing, what's you favorite activity in spare time?

Playing with my husband and son. They are my center of life. :)

That's it! Thank you Sitta, we're absolutely waiting impatiently for your new book! :) You can reach Sitta Karina by visiting her website, or follow her twitter!

Interview with Alanda Kariza

After successfully publishing Mint Chocolate Chips, Alanda now back with her newest novel, Vice Versa, which is gonna published soon. But, before reading her book, you should read my short interview with Alanda. With her business, managing Indonesian Youth Conference, college tasks, and book launching, Alanda still prepare some times for answering my question. What a humble girl! :)

  (images from alandakariza.com)

 

Tell us, why did you choose “Vice Versa” as your book’s title? 

"Vice Versa" means "the other way around". The book is a compilation of 18 short stories I have written in the past 5 years, and "Vice Versa" is the title of one of the stories. I used to define an issue, including love, can be seen from different perspectives, can be turned upside down, can mean the same in a different way towards people.

It’s been several years since you’re writing your first book. Do you see any differences in your writing style now and before? 

Yes, my writing style is very much different, indeed. I have read different books, learned a lot of new things, met tons of inspiring people, including authors. Now, I write from a deeper level in my heart and my mind. I write my concerns and thoughts, not only my imagination.

You’ve been very busy lately, involved in many activities, included Indonesian Youth Conference. Do you see writing as hobby to spend your spare time or considering it as your future profession?

 It can actually be both. I am very interested in meeting new people through having a lot of activities, and I want to bring a greater good, a positive impact to my society. I want to be a social entrepreneur, and to achieve it, I need to learn a lot, and I am learning through these activities. Wish me luck!

What did inspire you in writing this book? 

 My surroundings.

How long did you need to finish this book?

 Selecting the stories only took me a few weeks, but I have written the stories since I was 14, I guess. So, 5 years to write, 5 weeks to compile.

Who is your favorite writer? Why?

 Sapardi Djoko Damono, because he makes "nothing" into "very special things". His writings go deeply in my heart. I can absorb his emotions, only by reading what he writes. I want to be able to write like him.

Do you have any writing tips for beginners who are going to start their writing career? Don't give up, you have nothing to lose.

Where and when will you launch your latest book, “Vice Versa”?

Insha Allah at Warung Pasta Kemang, Sunday, May 2, 2010. Let's hope that the books have been printed by then.

I’ve heard we can order the book before it’s launched. How can we order it?

Yes, you can! Just fill out this form and Terrant Books will contact you: http://viceversa.alandakariza.com/?page_id=7/. You can always log on to http://viceversa.alandakariza.com to get some useful info :)

 I guess it's all from me. We can't wait until the book launching, right? Good luck for Alanda, and for you, don't forget to get the book! Bye!

Interview with Cassandra Niki

(photo from The Blog of Casseybunn)

If you have been blogged for long time, you probably recognize this girl. Her name is Cassandra Niki, well-known as Casseybunn. Cassey is a talented photographer, also an active blogger. Who knows her passion of blogging world takes her to be a writer? Now, she’s officially a writer, after publishing her first book in February. Her first book titled “Letters, Stories, and Dreams” and published by Terrant Books.

To be frank, I am one of her huge fans. So, one day, I had an idea to interview her for this blog. So, I emailed her and asked for her willingness. And I was so honored when she said yes. So here it is interview between me and Cassey.

Tell us, why did you choose “Letters, Stories, and Dreams” as your first book’s title?

Believe me or not, I didn't have a title until 2 days before it was up for printing. So, under pressure, I just thought 3 basic things that were the most important parts. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was stories. Because I'm practically turning myself into a storyteller telling stories of my life. Then, it was dreams, which is like "bonus chapters" in my book. Eight "Dreams of a Dreamer" chapters which contains my secret dreams. And last but not least of course my letters. Which were the most personal parts of this book. Because it started and ended with a letter. Putting those words together was tricky. But I thought of one of my favorite songs, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, which was a Beatles song about a kind of drug, Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD which makes you hallucinate things like Lucy in the sky with diamonds. I'm not on drugs, but that song means a lot to Jonas (the main character of the book) so I decided to name the whole book Letters, Stories, & Dreams. LSD for short! Simple and easy to remember by readers but also personal and meaningful to my close ones. The short name LSD is also a 'hidden joke' for close friends.

What did inspire you in writing this book?

Mostly everything that happened around me. What inspired me the most was the fact that what I've been through really was common in between my friends and family. I just have to share to the world!

How long did you need to finish this book?

The writing process itself took 8 months. Editing, printing, publishing took 2 months. But the whole book took 2 years of my journal entries.

Did you encounter any obstacles while writing this book? How did you solve them?

Of course. The same old same old, handling writing with my studies and my work was pretty hard. But the worst obstacle I had to go through was my personal problem which was breaking up with my boyfriend. How I solved it? I went on vacation and came back more inspired than ever. 

I’ve observed that your book become best sellers everywhere. Congrats! In your opinion, have you received enough appreciation (royalty) for you hard work? 

Hahaha thanks! Well, if you're speaking money. I think that's pretty private :p but yeah, it's good so far. Hahaha. What means a lot to me actually isn't the money but look at all those readers. Having a 'name' out there is really really WOW! The perfect appreciation. 

Which part do you love most from Letters, Stories, and Dreams? I, myself, love the part when you’re dreaming as rock star! Every one must have that moment in their life.

I can't pick only one part. Everything supports everything. Without one or other my story isn't complete. Writing each part was fun; the whole book is my favorite. I love it so much :D 

Beside a writer, you’re a talented photographer too. Which one is harder? Writing or taking photos?

Writing is definitely harder. Taking photos is a hobby to me. It only needs my eyes and my heart and I have no need to fulfill anyone's expectations. As for writing, which was once a hobby too, now is a job. I think more when I write, not only I must make my writing readable I must make it likable. Now, isn't that a pickle? :p

Many readers are waiting for your book’s sequel. Have you planned to write it? We’re absolutely anxious of your relationship with Jonas after crying scene in last chapter.

Well, well, well. Here's a surprise. I AM currently writing a second book. However though, it won't be the sequel of Letters, Stories, & Dreams. But, don't be disappointed just yet. I'm gonna arrange a nice surprise considering to tell all my readers what happened after my last letter in this second book. It will be a little epilogue perhaps? I don't know yet. You'll have to wait and see. But I promise, I'll tell you what happened ;) 

Do you have any messages for teenagers who have relationship problems as you did?

Hmm. Maybe I'd like to say that it is time to differentiate love and obsession. As obsession is one of my weaknesses in this book. But either than that, let's realize the importance of fighting for what you need not what you want :)


Who is your favorite writer? Why?

Tough question. Lemme think. Mitch Albom & Chuck Palahniuk. Mitch Albom writes simple everyday activities but touches you so badly, I always cry on reading each of his books. He writes with the simplest words, not poetic or anything just how it is. But it's like so real and so close to you. Chuck is more theatrical, he writes every moment in detail, what a person wore, how the lighting was, how the temperature was, where every drop of sweat fell, etc. He is super cool. Reading his work is like watching a movie.
 
Describe your self!

If you were a canvas, you’d be painted by… Andy Warhol. A common thing but colorful & unpredictable.

If you were a microphone, you’d be sung by… Jónsi. The only person I'd die to be sung by.

 If you were clothes, you’d be worn by… An early 90's rockstar. Simple, a tee & jeans.

I can’t live without… Internet, music, & body lotion. Enough said.

My favorite quote is… "If it hurts, you know what, it's probably worth it" -The Beach.

If I were a movie, I'd be directed by... Sofia Coppola. Beautiful cinematography with complex hidden meanings and a hot soundtrack.

That it is! If you haven’t got a copy of “Letters, Stories and Dreams”, go to nearest bookstore. It will be effortless to find it, because it always placed on “Best Seller” shelf!

But, for you, who want extra discounts, you can visit Terrant Books website for ordering this book.  You can get 35% discounts! So, what are you waiting for??

Interviews!!!!

Hello readers!

I've been considering for many times, what if I'm adding new column for this blog? Well, I've talk with two young writers from Indonesia, and they willing to be interviewed for this blog. Interesting, right? I still try to contact other author, hope I can do it successfully! :)

So, as soon as possible, I'll post my interview with one of them. And, thanks for being loyal readers this whole time.
Don't forget, you still have time to join my giveaway!