Solidarity With Alfian Sa'at

If you haven’t read any of Alfian’s poems or short stories, or seen one of his plays at Wild Rice then you can’t say you know Singapore literature or Singapore.

Yale NUS cancelled a program on dissent and resistance in September 2019 which Alfian was due to run. As a consequence, Alfian’s reputation and integrity have been sullied and he has been treated with dis-respect. The response by some has been sad and disgraceful.

We need more writers like Alfian.

The affair raises important issues regarding academic freedom, the limits of dissent and critique, and the role of the humanities and writers in society. Former Ambassador to the UN and US, Tommy Koh, and NMP and economist, Walter Theseira, have provided a significant defence of Singaporean writers and the humanities.

Here’s Walter summarising his speech in parliament "A Liberal Education and Corruption of the Youth in Singapore":

“1) A liberal education has nothing to with corrupting youth by fomenting subversion or dissent, but instead, encourages students to adopt the liberal principles of critical thinking, open mindedness, and critical inquiry - to examine thoughts and actions, of others and of oneself.

2) While academic freedom does not mean the right to be exposed to unsuitable topics or instructors (too extremist, lacking rigor), we must guard against closing our minds, in the guise of protecting our students from bad influences.

Just because Alfian Sa'at, a playwright, may not have the expertise to curate "Dialogue and Dissent" from an academically rigorous perspective (although administrative issues also intervened), does not mean his creative works have no relevance to Singapore, or that he should be barred from engaging the youth. Some may feel his work is 'undesirable', but I urge people to decide for themselves. (edit: I am heartened that arts observers including Tommy Koh have defended Alfian Sa'at)

3) While academics should be active outside the classroom, and can be activists who impact the world (a point celebrated by Minister Ong), activism should be separated from the classroom. Max Weber agrees with us on this one.

4) We must continue to ask challenging and critical questions at our Universities, and accept that critical work need not be perfect to be useful. If we expect only perfection from our critics, we will bias scholars towards simply regurgitating safe, received wisdom. This is not good for our students or for Singapore.

5) A liberal education should be expanded beyond just the elite; it is a foundation for lifelong learning and citizenship. We must accept that there is a right to question ideas, beliefs, and policies, and to have our own questioned, critically and respectfully. Far from corrupting the youth, a liberal education provides strength for the future.”

Background at academia.sg

I thoroughly recommend Malay Sketches and Corridor. I have taught Alfian’s poems and short stories at universities, schools and writing workshops and will continue to do so.

Written Country

Written Country: The History of Singapore through Literature was launched at Kinokuniya last Saturday. The book is published by Landmark Books and edited by Gwee Li Sui. 

This anthology tells Singapore’s history through excerpts of prose and poetry. A brief informative commentary on key events from the fall of Singapore to the death of Lee Kuan Yew accompanies the literary texts. 

Gwee’s introduction sets out the editorial principles guiding his approach to the selection and arrangement of the texts. I like Gwee’s discussion of: 

• the ’factually sound and the emotionally consistent’, 
• the play between first hand and imagined experience, 
• how history and literature relate to each other

What is the quality that literature possesses that makes history come alive and something more  than a list of observed facts and descriptions?

In the very first text, Lim Thean Soo demonstrates this quality when he writes about the schoolboy who runs to the concrete roof of his family home to watch the shelling and counter shelling, and the bombs falling across Singapore on the 15th February 1942.

Gwee notes, inter alia, writers form characters that possess ’some quality of having lived through time’ and possessing deeper forms of knowledge by ‘allowing information to be thought back to us - accordingly rethought, made meaningful.’

Gwee writes ‘[a]s ... texts enter specific moments, they effectively give back to events their emotions and, in this way, generate reflections and commentaries from within.’

At the Kino launch: 

• Rick Buck Song Koh read Completion of Toa Payoh New Town
• Meira Chand read an excerpt from A Different Sky on the Hock Lee Bus Riots. 
• Marc Nair read his poem, Mas Selamat from Postal Code
• Mhd Sharif Udin read his poem, Little India Riot: Velu and a History in Bengali 

The book also contains prose excerpts and poems from Alfian Sa’at, Robert Yeo, Said Zahari, Goh Sin Tub, Dave Chua, Christine Chia, Gopal Baratham, Stella Kon, Boey Kim Cheng, Felix Cheong, Toh Hsien Minh, Tania De Rozario and others.

The book is a gateway drug encouraging the consumption of other works of leading Singapore writers.

Landmark’s founder, Goh Eck Kheng, did not expect Gwee to do so much work editing the book. Gwee probably did not expect to do so much work either. He ended up looking at a ‘couple of thousand Singaporean English titles’ and whittled that down to 54 pieces. Gwee’s expression after the suggestion of another volume of literature covering pre-war events can be seen above.

My only other question is where was the kachang puteh and potong ice cream?

Speakeasy #25: Valentine's Edition

Speakeasy #25 was held on 12 Feb 2016 at Artistry in front of a warm and boisterous (now paying but its worth it) audience and featured a range of traditional, pop, contemporary, queer, and #SGLit poetry selected by the following talented poets/writers/impresarios/wannabe Lotharios/flaneurs/etc.

• Jennifer Champion: Kiki Dimoula's "Diabolical Coincidence", Andrea Gibson's "Love Poem"
• Stephanie Ye: Carol Ann Duffy's "Death of a Teacher", Eric Low's "An Assumption of Light and Motion" and Hemingway killing a beloved cat
• Sean Tobin: Cyril Wong's "Zero Child Policy" and Yong Shu Hoong
• Joshua Ip: Ann Ang's "Valentine for your Hair", Benzie Dio's "Stamford road" and Cheryl Julia Lee's "How We Make Love"
• Jason Wee: Carl Phillips and Sean Tobin 
• Mrigaa Sethi: Audre Lorde, Joan Larkin and other lesbian poets
• David Wong: Jack Herbert, Ruth Stone and Yousuf Komunyakaa
• Richard Angus Whitehead: a Shakespeare sonnet, Chaucer's Squire and Bob Dylan introduced by tales of dubious antics from 1978 Cambridge
• Christine Chia: Cyril Wong Boats, Elisabeth Jennings, Elisabeth Bishop and others
• Verena Tay: a Shakespearen sonnet, John Donne & a very sassy, The Owl & The Pussycat
• Lucas Ho: 14 year old Charlotte and Thom Gunn
• Becca D’Bus: as ever delicious and decadent, argued with herself over the boy being mine, and told us very clearly that children are our future.

More images from Speakeasy's past:

• Speakeasy #16 George Szirtes & Ng Yi Sheng
• Speakeasy #17 At the Mill with Banglar Kantha Literary Association
• Speakeasy #18 Valentine's Edition 2015
• Speakeasy #19 Deborah Emmanuel

Idiot & Dog

'“Here dog, it’s hot in here, isn’t it? Sorry, but my aircon needs a bit of gas.”

Shane wound down the ute’s side window and the dog rose and leant away from him. With its paws on the armrest, the dog poked its tongue out and sniffed. Shane laughed because he knew this joy. He’d done it himself: stuck his head out and felt the wind and sun on his face, a caress of light and air.

Shane and Diane met on an interstate bus travelling from Adelaide to Sydney. Diane was nestled against the window and Shane took the aisle seat next to her. He noticed everything about her. She wore a brown terry towelling tracksuit and white T-shirt, ate oven- baked potato chips, and sipped from a bottle of mineral water. She was listening to music and playing Candy Crush on her phone.'

Excerpt from Idiot & Dog, a story in We Rose Up Slowly

Buy We Rose Up Slowly online here (free shipping in Singapore).

Burn After Reading with Cyril Wong

Burn After Reading SG, a Singapore collective of young writers, presented a poetry evening with Cyril Wong at Artistry on 22 May 2015.

Cyril shared several of his poems (including one of my favourites First Date) and answered questions. 

Cyril was in good form and talked about growing up on the concrete floor of a small HDB flat, the music in his poetry, darkness, getting to know Terry Jaensch, why he likes the Australian poetry scene, his ‘process’ (handphone note taking and sending SMSs to the self, collecting these wisps in a laptop each evening and letting the work grow from there) etc etc.

Then Cyril sang a Chinese lullaby and we were taken to a completely different space.

No wonder people were turned away at the door.

The next BAR SG event is on 27 July 2015.

Desmond & Eric at Books Actually

On 20 March at Books Actually, Eric Valles and Desmond Kon talked about the craft of writing, their literary journeys and their poetry and prose. Both poets have been journalists and have strong theological interests that shines through in their work.

Desmond spoke about his novel, Singular Acts of Endearment (Squirrel Line Press), which recently won an award at the Beverly Hills International Book Award. 

I really enjoy the rich, intricate, ambitious depths of Desmond’s fiction and poetry. I first met Desmond in 2010 at an NUS reading where he read some Haikus and I read my short story We Rose Up Slowly. Recently we caught the wrong bus from Speakeasy and I left him, late in the evening, stranded near a building site on the other side of One Raffles Quay.

Eric talked about his poetry collection After the Fall: Dirges among Ruins (Ethos Books). He read a wonderful poem about the restoration of a mural in Changi prison.

It was a very warm and pleasant evening.

A Luxury We Cannot Afford & SingPoWriMo

Last Sunday, two impressive poetry anthologies, A Luxury We Cannot Afford (edited by Christine Chia & Joshua Ip) and SingPoWriMo: The Anthology (edited by Ann Ang, Pooja Nansi & Joshua Ip) were launched by Math Paper Press at the Arts House.

In 1969 ‘he who cannot be named’ declared: “Poetry is a luxury we cannot afford.”

ALWCA is a poetic response to the myths and narratives that loom large around ‘he who cannot be named’. It is part homage, critique, analysis, rant, fiction, representation, exploration, examination and antidote to The Man.

Despite my poetic disabilities, I have a small prose poem on page 96 of ALWCA.

As a predominantly prose writer I am a lurker on SingPoWriMo but I do enjoy the energy and enthusiasm, challenge and chutzpah of this grassroots movement. Who knew poetry was so popular in Singapore?

During the Q&A the question was asked, I think by Robert Yeo, why the resurgent interest in poetry in Singapore amongst so many teenagers/young people? What is to account for it?

Several points were made by Joshua Ip & Robert Yeo & others:

• Poetry suits youth: Young people need to express and explore their identity and feelings, to talk about how they feel and see the world. Young people like to be provocative. Poetry is the best vehicle to articulate & explore meaning because it's versatile, subjective and covers a 'broad church'. You have a lot of free time for poetry when you’re young that is no longer available when you're older.
  
  Poetry is a bit like punk. Except you don't need musical instruments. 
   
• Poetry is easy to write: Did someone actually say “easy”? "Easy" compared to what? I guess, compared to prose, a poem may be 'immediate', 'convenient', 'short'. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen, and it takes less time than writing a novel or a short story or a play.
   
• Poetry suits Singapore: Poetry can be oblique and ambiguous. In a highly regulated, hierarchical, sensitive, authoritarian society, Singaporeans appreciate the indirectness of poetry. Did someone say poetry is 'sneaky' ... Or did I mishear? Haha.
   
• Poetry suits modern technology: The structure of Facebook was ideally suited for sharing & commenting on SingPoWriMo's daily challenges. Social media helped level the playing field so the text (nearly) always remained the focus. Immediacy worked. ‘Likes’ were encouraging. Nobody was really nasty or personal in their critique - the text was the focus.

The corollary of the question is: does poetry fade out of life as the years go by? Probably. To some extent as you grow older priorities change, your focus turns to security rather than exploration, you grow commitments & you have less time and energy for poetry due to your obligations to job, spouse/partner, offspring, aging parents, mortgage etc, etc. Consumerism, class, status, money & growing old kill poetry - if you let them. Prose writers experience this too. Sigh.

A review of SingPoWriMo can found here.