Gus tf Sakai

Angle Across from a Small Town

By Ivan Adilla, Andalas University Faculty of Letters

Gus tf (Payakumbuh, August 13, 1965) was a poet, short story writer and novelist. Poets with the original name Gustafrizal Busra underwent primary to secondary education in his hometown, Payakumbuh. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, and graduated in 1994. He decided to undergo the profession as an author and settled in Payakumbuh. He is frequently invited to read her poems in Padang, Jakarta and several other cities.

These authors used two different names for the two genres of his work; for prose he uses Gus tf Sakai, whereas for the works of poetry she includes the name Gus tf, while his real name is used only for official documents.

As an author, Gus has won many awards for his work. From 1985-1999, two novels, seven novelet and 14 short stories won prizes and awards in a number of writing competitions held by various media, such as Femina, Gadis, Matra, O, also-UNP Humanities Study Center and several other institutions. In 1996 he won an award from the Center for Language Development and Jakarta, and obtaining Lontar Literature Prize in 2001. In 2004, aged 39 years, Gus won the SEA Write Award, literary prize for writers in the ASEAN countries. In 2005 Gus was scheduled to attend the International Writing Program at The University of Iowa, United States, but then canceled for reasons unclear. Information until it is, "Washington can not accept you this year, perhaps on another occasion."

Gus began writing while sitting in elementary school at the age of 13 years. His work has been published in the form of poems, short stories and novels novelet. Many poems originally published in O magazine (Jakarta), Space and Culture Newspaper Singgalang Platform (Padang), while his prose in the form of short stories published in magazines and novelet Girl, Femina, Matra, and Hai. Short stories and poems later published by various newspapers such as the Republika, Kompas, Media Indonesia, The Jakarta Post, News Buana, Suara Karya, Pelita, Pearl, also a magazine Horison, Kalam, Journal of Poetry and Ulumul Quran. Some of the work of Gus has been translated into English, Arabic, and Portuguese.

Some of his prose has been recorded. Teen novel that is his early work is broken Square Side (New York: Scholastic, 1991), Triangle Off Legs (New York: Scholastic, 1991), Ben (New York: Scholastic, 1992). Novels that have been recorded Tambo (A Meeting) (Jakarta: Grasindo, 2000). The first anthology of short stories is the Palace Ketirisan (Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1996), whereas the short story anthology The light sheen and Blind Women (New York: Scholastic Press, 1999) Lontar Literature prize in 2001 and later translated into English, The Barber and Other Short Stories (New York: The Lontar Foundation). Some short stories have also appeared in the anthology together, among them within a few short numbers Compass choice. Some noveletnya published in the anthology, Three Love, Mom (New York: Scholastic).

Gus tf Sakai strengths as a prose writer of several novels seen since adolescence and noveletnya published. Early work showed the seriousness and the nuances that are different from the general tendency of adolescent melancholy story and liquid. Through this technique, he was told that flows toward the deepening of reflection infiltrating meaning of the story. His later attract the attention of observers because of its language, themes and techniques penceritaannya selected. Short stories is a blend of poetic language with storytelling techniques are awake. The language is effective, dense and filled with inner monologues. The story moves across geographical areas, gender, social and cultural with a detailed description of the visual and mental aspects of his characters. The story is built in a plot that flows and arouse curiosity in the reader.

Most of her poems recorded in the cages of Meat (New York: Grasindo, 1997), while others are scattered in the anthology together berbagari issued by various agencies and arts organizations.Gus is the youngest poet whose work is published in the book When Words, When Color (Jakarta: Yayasan Ananda), a book that collects 50 works of Hamzah Indonesian poet since Fansuri. Gus tf is the power of rhyme in paradox and metaphor content of an effective and functional. Through his poems he mendeksripsikan paradox is thinking, so that her poems are like field dialogue on issues which it expressed. Persuasively he urged readers to go and experience the events that he served in his poem. Techniques like that invites the reader to recognize and bring awareness, not understanding.

His latest work, The Spider (New York: Scholastic), Meat Roots (New York: Compass Books Publishers) and four Snake (Jakarta: Kompas Book Publishers).

About Gus tf Sakai

Gus tf Sakai is probably the Indonesian writers who "fuss" and "difficult" when asked biografinya. Always, he would be asked back, "As a writer of poetry or prose?" He was writing with two names: for tf Gus Gus tf Sakai poetry and for prose (though they seem like no different). About two of this name in an interview in The Jakarta Post he said curtly, "To a suggestion, let them seriously on each." Then, he will provide personal data separately for each name, is also very short.

Gus tf Sakai was born in Payakumbuh, West Sumatra, dated August 13, 1965 with the original name Gustrafizal. His father and mother named Bustamam Ranjuna. Her father was a farmer died when the poet was still a child and along with nine brothers were raised by his mother he was then living as small traders selling traditional food.

Elementary, junior and high school he tamatkan in Payakumbuh, then proceed to the Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, and graduated in 1994. Creative process has developed since childhood, along with a penchant exercise (such as soccer and martial arts), which starts from the drawing, and writing poetry and essays in the journal. First publication of a short story that won first prize of a contest when he was sitting in sixth grade elementary school in 1979. Since the victory, and he knew that writing can bring in money (which is very helpful to the needs of the school), he was no longer able to stop writing and often follow the competition to write poetry, short stories, novelet, novels, and essays. Remember, until the year 2003, there were about 50 that it won the competition to write, but which can be documented and recorded only 36. However, the number 36 that might have an amazing record.

After publishing the work with a variety of pseudonyms until high school graduation in 1985, he moved into the field and took the decision that for many people may not be imagined: a life of writing. Since it was instrumental in the shaping, he used two names: Gus Gus tf and tf Sakai.However, no decision has proven to be wrong. Although it is not sufficient to say, he looks really enjoyed his profession. He also grows as a prominent Indonesian writers of his generation.

Rather strange that almost no discussion or review found in the works of Gus tf Sakai so that Indonesian literature does not really know how (the benefits) of his work. However, in a file that is sent committee Indonesia, Centre for Languages, the Committee for the SEA Write Award in 2004 in Bangkok, in the field about yourself (Awardees to write about himsef), Gus tf Sakai wrote: "... Until now aged 38 years, Sometimes I still feel like 25 years ago when I first started writing: a small, nervous, came from poor families, who because of financial constraints in the infinity childhood dream to be growing in the world of paradox and a lot of impossibility. I still like that now, perhaps. Tension between limitation and infinity have been incarnating I became a minor author who stutter, keep obsessing to exit - across anything. Ethnicity, religion, race, even between the real and unreal. "From that statement we may be able to trace how the tendency of the works Gus tf Sakai. Results of his work is as follows.

 

A. Novel

1.       Broken Side Square (teenage novel, Scholastic, 1990).

2.      Triangle Off Legs (teen novel, Scholastic, 1991)

3.      Ben (teen novel, Scholastic, 1992)

4.      Tambo (A Meeting) (Grasindo, 2000). The novel was translated in English and will be published by the metaphor of Publishing.

5.      Three Love, Mom (Scholastic, 2002)

6.      The four snakes (Kompas, 2005)

B. Collection of Short Stories

1.       Ketirisan Palace (Balai Pustaka, 1996). It contains seven short stories short stories.

2.      Light sheen and Women Blind (Scholastic, 1999). Collection of short stories contains 14 short stories grouped in four parts, the first section titled "my girls" consisted of four short stories, the second part, titled "Houses of the Past" consists of three short stories, the third section, titled "Alone" consists of three short stories, and part The fourth show, "So what does Mute" consists of four short stories. Collection of short stories, after obtaining Lontar Literature Prize in 2001, published by The Lontar Foundation in English under the title The Barber and Other Short Stories (2002).

3.      Spider (Scholastic, 2003). Collection of short stories contains 14 short stories.

C. Collection of Poems

1.       Meat cage (Grasindo, 1997). Collection of poetry that contains 60 poems written by Gus tf elected during the year 1980-1995, which are grouped in two parts, the first section titled "Step Stone" consists of 33 poems and the second part, entitled "Injury metamorphosis" consists of 27 poems.

2.      Meat Roots (Kompas, 2005). Collection of poems was composed of two parts, the first section titled "Meat" which contains 19 poems and the second section titled "Roots" which also includes 19 poems.

Some of his poems have been translated into Arabic, English and German.

On their creativity, Gus tf Sakai won many prizes and received numerous awards, both from within and abroad.

Prize Won

1.       Short Story Writing Competition First Prize from the Ministry of Education and Culture Municipal Payakumbuh for short story "Business of Health in the School" (1979)

2.      Second Prize Short Story Competition Anita Young of the magazine short story "The Story of the Pinocchio, and Cinderella" (1985)

3.      First Prize Writing Competition Novelet of Kartini magazine for novelet "Cravings" (1986)

4.      Third Prize Short Story Competition from Kartini magazine for the short story "Grandmother" (1986)

5.      Hope Prize Short Story Writing Competition for short stories from magazines Tiara "three letters Muhammad's definition" (1987)

6.      Third Prize Short Story Writing Competition for short stories from magazines Relay "Gun" (1988)

7.      Writing Competition Second Prize novel of Kartini magazine for the novel "Opaque Set against a Gloomy" (1988)

8.     Second Prize Writing Competition Novelet Anita Young of the magazine to novelet "Dutch Doll" (1989)

9.      Poetry Writing Competition First Prize from the Directorate of Art Directorate of Culture Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia to the poem "Chess Didaktisisme Episode Five" (1989)

10.  Hope First Prize Poem Writing Competition DG of the Directorate of Cultural Arts Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia to the poem "Waiting" (1989)

11.   Ten Best Gifts from the Studio Poem Writing Competition for poetry Drinking Kopi Bali "About Hosts and Guests who kill" (1990)

12.  Ten Best Gifts Poem Writing Competition from Iqranidya Club Cilacap to the poem "Snow Ball" (1990)

13.  Short Story Writing Competition Prize nominee from Suara Merdeka daily for short story "Urban" (1991)

14.  Novelet Writing Competition First Prize of the magazine girl to novelet "Ben" (1991)

15.   Hope Competition First Prize Short Story of the Bali Post daily for the short story "A Valley After Bee Move" (1991)

16.  Third Prize Writing Competition Novelet of Kartini magazine for novelet "Misty Valley" (1991)

17.   Ten Best Gifts from the Studio Poem Writing Competition for poetry Drinking Kopi Bali "aphorisms Wine" (1992)

18.  Ten Prize for Best Poem Writing Competition from Bali Coffee Studio for poetry "Wedding Rose" (1992)

19.  Third Prize Writing Competition Culture of Minangkabau Culture Week Committee for the essay, "Ascetic, Holistic, Pradigma Modernity" (1993)

20. Ten Best Gifts Poem Writing Competition from Sanggar Drinking Kopi Bali for the poem "I Never Kubutuh A Phone" (1993)

21.  Hdiah Ten Best Poem Writing Competition Bulletin Literary Culture of Creative Stone for poem "Leaves of Good" (1994)

22. The Ten Best Writing Competition Prize from the Poetry Foundation Taraju West Sumatra for the poem "Someone in Lorong Named Ages" (1994)

23. Short Story Writing Competition Prize Hope Youth of Matra magazine for short story "There's Mask in the Diary" (1996)

24. Second Prize Essay Writing Competition of the Center for Language Development and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia for the essay "Forms of Culture in multiethnic society" (1996)

25.  Writing Competition Prize Continue Hope from Femina magazine for Men Vol novel for Mother (1998)

26. Best Short Story Prize nominee in Indonesian newspapers from Jakarta Arts Council in 1998 for short story "The Old Paintings, Old Town, softly crying Every Dusk" (1999)

27.  Best Short Story Prize nominee in Indonesian newspapers from Jakarta Arts Council in 1998 for short story "What a Beautiful Life" (1999)

28. Gift options from Kompas daily short stories for short story "Caterpillars in the Shoes" (1999)

29. Nine Prize for Best Poem Writing Competition Committee for the Peace of Peace Poetry Competition Notices Art and Peace for the poem "Planting Event" (1999)

30. Second Prize Short Story Writing Competition of the Center for Humanities Studies, State University of Padang and Indonesian Language Program at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia for the short story "Butterflies" (1999)

31.  Gift options from Kompas daily short stories for short story "Spider" (2000)

32. Superior Ten Prize Short Story Writing Competition of the Center for Humanities Studies, State University of Padang and Indonesian Language Program at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia for the short story "Because we do not have tribes" (2000)

32.

33. Gift options from Kompas daily short stories for short story "Upit" (2001)

34. Hope Competition Prize Novel Writing for Teens from Mizan Publisher novel Straight Lines, Disconnect (2002)

35.  Gift options from Kompas daily short stories for short story "The train bearing the image Lebaran" (2002)

36. Hope Competition First Prize Novel Writing from the Arts Council for the novel Snake Fourth (2003)

37.  Compass option short story prize for short story entitled "The Maggot" (2005)

Awards Received

1.       Lontar Literature Award from the Foundation for a collection of short stories Lontar sheen and Women's Blind Light (2001)

2.      Gift of Literature from the Faculty of Letters, University of Newcastle (2002)

3.      Literature Writing Award from the Center for Language for collection of short stories and light sheen Blind Women (2002)

4.      Sih Award from the Journal of Poetry for the poem "Susi 2000 AD" (2002)

5.      SEA Write Award from the Kingdom of Thailand for a collection of short stories and light sheen Blind Women (2004)

6.      Gift of Art of the Community activists Literature and Arts Council of Padang in West Sumatra (2004).

Year 1996 Gus tf Sakai back to Payakumbuh. Together with his wife, Zurniati, he decided to live and settle in his village along with her three children: Abyad blessed Bodi (L), Khanza Jamalina Bodi (P), and bud Faiha Bodi (P). Although settled in a small town surrounded by three mountains, technological advances make it able to pass (physical and nonphysical) everywhere.From his village now that Gus tf Sakai continues to write poetry, short stories, novels, and essays that was later published by publishers and mass media publications Jakarta while picking out poems to Poetry, a quarterly journal that contains all things related to poetry; journal where Gus tf invited to join by Sapardi Djoko Damono since 2002.

Address: Jalan Sudirman No. 33 New Hall, Payakumbuh, West Sumatra, Indonesia 26 212 Telephone: (0752) 94 924 Pos-el: gustfsakai@plasa.com and gustfsakai@yahoo.com

From the Dreaming Butterflies Swang Tse and Tambo So Gus tf Sakai

By Fadlillah, Andalas University Faculty of Letters

There will to forget the past at every person or nation when the history of the past so bitter and dislikes. Then it will continue to present stories that entertain the wounded hearts, disappointment and pain, this is the tragedy of the phenomenon of social pathology. The presence of an entertaining story for the disappointment and pain is there because lara is going dilipur. From the story, there are dilipur lara, it is the will to run to the world of imagination when found so bad and sad reality, issues like this is the reality of the human. If that happens to individuals perhaps he is merely a psychological case, but if it happens in the reality of culture, then this human tragedy has become the issue.

This tragic humanitarian become problematic in the novel Tambo (A Meeting) by Gus tf Sakai, his presence is a result of the cause that has been hidden on this day. Is the fact that it is difficult to explain about Rido who dream to be Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan (Sutan Balun), on the fact that (same) Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan (who were in a dream Rido's) dreams of becoming Rido. As Swang Tse said he dreamed of a butterfly and then the next he says that reality itself is the dream of the butterfly, to be exact; butterfly dreaming so Swang Tse and Tse Swang think and believe that he was the real or actual reality from him is the butterfly. Swang Tse believes his life is now only dream of a butterfly, because he himself is the butterfly, and now he just underwent a dream.

The story of the Swang Tse was written by Aart van Zoest in his book Fiction and Nonfiction in the Study of Semiotics, translation Manoekmi Sardjoe, (1990:31). Not much different from this issue is also expressed by Hasif Amini in his writing in the journal Kalam (4 / 1995: 89.90) with the title Art in the Library Reading Imaginary Jorge Luis Borges and (Among Others) Literary Fantasy. He said: "In the story 'Circular Ruins', an old monk came to a pagan temple ruins in the jungle, for the sake of 'dream' a figure of the boy who would later incorporation into reality, but at the last moment when the child is finished, get the form physical, monks began to realize that he also dreamed of being an illusion that other people .... " Borges through a discussion of ancient books, which did not happen displacement space, but a cognitive shift that took place in time. Borges specifically and repeatedly, to discuss the issue this time: "linear time is engineered to confront the modern world, with a circular (circular) that are mythological". It is also perhaps relevant to the film Vanilla Sky, directed by Cameron Crowe, the film was referred from the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos titled (1997). Vanilla Sky phenomenon is the phenomenon of butterflies Swang Tse, ie not berbatasnya of imagination and reality caused profound suffering, as played by Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz.

Sutan Balun (Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan) in the TSP was saying how he had dreamed so Rido, Maybe this is related to the narrative pattern of a butterfly who dreamed so Swang Tse.Then in chapter 14, How Many of Me, tell about Rido differences that remain do not know the reality of the dream. Previously there was a more serious statement of the problem is Rido (Sakai, 2002:18) said: "For me the dream, like a dream, and reality, hardly any difference." That is, Rido is no longer able to distinguish between the dream of his life with the realities of life, between imagination and reality. Later in the same sentence say that it is the phenomenon of life; "... Often I do not know if the center is in a dream, or was in reality." Rido believe they are Sutan Balun or Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan, he believed himself a lot, as told in chapter 14 How Many of Me, (Sakai, 2000:100). If equated with Tse Swang, Swang Tse then believed he was a butterfly, and his reality as Swang Tse in dreamland butterfly. If the butterfly stop dreaming, then he (Swang Tse) sure will return to its natural happy, that is, nature butterfly.Rido is also waiting for the passing of the Kaba Tailor it for years and continue to wait.

Narratives like this are difficult to understand, but when she placed as the phenomenon of metaphor or the nature of life, then he is hiding something narrative. Thus it would appear something, namely a simple question, why it happened, and why so? Rido phenomenon is not possible to just happen, there is one cause (or several reasons, many reasons), which resulted in Rido become a phenomenon. As for the need to search for, because the phenomenon Rido considered only as a result. Not possible cause is a reality that is fun and happy, because if the reality of its cause something good, fun, happy, it certainly will cause virtue and happiness, it is understood, as well as issues to be finished, no longer a matter of problemtis. Rido phenomenon as a form of narrative is not happiness but a problematic narrative of a tragic, sad story. Thus, in the end the phenomenon of Rido certainly caused by a pain, a bad system, a sadness that does not terleraikan, which suppress it. There are two basic idea to say that the phenomenon is caused by the presence Rido tragic narrative of what happened.

First, when the question was referred to the writings of thought Pariaman (Brouwer, 1984:228), then what happens to Rido is a symptom of the split of personality, and indeed this novel was originally titled Sick, but according to Sakai negotiations with the editor of Republika daily (when the This novel will be published in the daily serialized, before it is published, a phrase the author to the author) and publisher Grasindo, then this novel is ultimately entitled Tambo (A Meeting).This phenomenon arises split of personality, according Pariaman (Brouwer, 1984:202) is a reaction to a double system of life that are too heavy to handle. This opinion is probably in line with the story of Sybil Schreiber works (2001:489-490), who also revealed that the fragmentation of personality as a double system that is too heavy to handle. But the phenomenon presented here in addition due to the heavier dual system is made possible by the oppression of power and destruction of identity.

Second, it can be referred to the reasons why Swang Tse believes that the real world he is a butterfly, and he was only a dream of a butterfly, because he was experiencing pain and sadness that is not terleraikan, namely his wife and son died, he could not accept it or not strong accept the reality of sadness that, in addition to all this life was suffering and the peak is the death of his wife, so he at one time dreamed, in his dreams he becomes a butterfly and hanging with the kids and his wife, flying as a butterfly in flower garden beautiful and happy.When he awoke, he was confident that the true reality of him is the butterfly, Swang Tse himself as a nightmare of a butterfly. A tragic narrative of the tragedy of life. Swang butterfly phenomenon caused by the tragic sufferings Tse, which essentially allows also occur in the sadness of the tragic self-Rido.

Rido tragic happens to a cause, first by the dual system of social culture and the second by the sadness and suffering, and the third by the oppression of power and destruction of identity. In the first cause by Pariaman (Brouwer, 1984:208) has rarely been a major cause, he only became the foundation as arcing. But there was a strong influence on the social system that raising a person, a system of shared values. Rido was raised by a system whose authority gadang house occupied by my grandmother and uncle oldest male (brother of the mother) the eldest, he was raised by his mother's family, making the system he is with his father. This culture system allows for the growth of a complex mother (mother complex) as it is said Pariaman (Brouwer, 1984:215), and this occurred in Nan Perpatih Datuk Sabatang (Sakai, 2000:69-70). Boys in the Minangkabau social system after the grown-up (age seven years) had to part with his mother and slept in the mosque while his teenage years spent in the arena, then his adult life overseas, when a family he can only go home at night wife (but Rido not married yet, also Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan), the last of the old times back to the mosque. This social system that makes men never had a private room, in another sense Minangkabau men are men shoreline (not settling always traveling). In addition, socio-cultural system which is intended to be a double alive. First, on the one hand, it is customary tradition alive by the matrilineal system and on the religion he was confronted with a patrilineal system. Second, the barrel with the barrel Koto Bodi Chaniago Piliang have the opposite system, ie systems with Bodi Chaniago Koto Piliang systematically applying democrat autocrat. Third, families with a family father mother, mother a family with wife's family, each with different systems.

But ultimately the issue is not something that would cause, he will show a lot of reasons, and many possibilities, and a lot more new things that could be found and understood. As the novel opens he will indeed thinking in that direction, encouraging people to adventure in a world of possibility and the world as possible. There are phenomena of the story of two characters who each other is more of a problem that dream more possible many alternatives to be found. There are at least double-figure phenomenon, in another sense also a phenomenon of double personality, a phenomenon that does not figure in a single integrated personality, berserpihan split into many personalities, many stories. Dihadirkannya essence is the identity problem of identity has been destroyed, the scattered existence precisely the problem.

Nature of this issue of identity, or existence, the question of whether the dream of so Sutan Rido Balun (Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan), or whether Sutan Balun (Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan) who dreamed so Rido. But when it is brought to the philosophy of Buddhism, he is a butterfly who dreamed of becoming Swang Tse, because on the other hand Adityawarman in history is a Buddhist reference Bhairawa, and Minangkabau before Islam is the nation's Hindu Buddha. Philosophy Swang Tse will also connect with the essence of reincarnation that has been lost in Minangkabau. The issue does not stop there, it is simply a reference to the reality of today's narrative, because the TSP is a literary novel with a contemporary Indonesia, were present in the concept of a multicultural aesthetic tastes of Indonesia. In the language of thought today, then the TSP talking about the nature of personality and identity fragmentation vagueness of human existence in the context of Indonesia today many nations are oppressed by the Indonesian authorities.

Fragmentation of personality or the existence of Indonesia today, and a search on the past, the narrative of myth, history, and tradition, is the futility. Indeed the reality that was done during the regime of Soekarno and the New Order regime, memparadigmakan cultural past as a cultural narrative of the sublime. On the one hand into his back to the future and facing the past. Then again neofeodalisme who live no more thick than the era of feudalism in the kingdom Singosari, Kediri, Majapahit, Mataram, Sriwijaya, Pagaruyung. Neofeodalisme was received that match the culture of modern capitalism. In the end the people remain oppressed, poor and miserable, and after that because of the oppression, suffering and grief of people will flee into the world of stories, narratives escape (whether narrative or narrative butterfly Datuk Perpatih Sabatang Nan), it gives birth to many stories lara can entertain. *** Source KOMPAS, Sunday, May 4, 2003

Gus tf, Literary Crosses

By Yurnaldi

Not as usual, Gus tf Sakai, writer who now lives in Payakumbuh, a small town about 30 miles north of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, was stunned for so long.

Received the news I received the SEA Write Award, I was stunned, not believing, not because of youth ages, but also because I am actually not too sure on the choice of what I have written, "he said, about the prestigious literary award from the Southeast Asian kingdom of Thailand's .  

Gus reached thanks to a collection of short stories; sheen and Women's Blind Light (1999). Thus, the glittering lights and Blind Women have three times won the prestigious award. Previously, the Literature Award from the Lontar Lontar Foundation (2001) Writing and Literature Award from the Center for Languages (2002).

What is interesting from the book is a collection of short stories? Let's see nukilannya; So ... there is a blind woman. Like the old rattan seekers, hunters were middle-aged man was mobbed. "It's not beauty. But that's where all the sincerity of his face, all joy, emanating simultaneously. He was like a baby ... but of course have any thing that is inappropriate for youth women. He asked about the light. A kind of light, you said! But whether it is light ? I ... "a middle-aged hunter's cupped hands to his face. His shoulders quivered suddenly dropped to rise. He cried.

It unique and interesting from Gus tf Sakai. Not because of t in its name (should) be lowercase. Nor is it because his head shaved. However, how he "split" into two names, and Gus tf Sakai. One person, but with two names, in the Indonesian literary world, as famous. In fact, his real name Gustrafizal.

"I write the name Gus tf for poetry and literary types and Gus tf Sakai for literary types of prose. The two names that continue to give suggestions so that I do not have enough time to pursue things other than literature. Time for 24 hours as not sufficient for maintain the existence of two names, "he said.

His life was devoted to "support" of Indonesian literature. Instead, he was living from literature. The difference with other writers, for Gus writing is not a job. The job was to read.

Gus said, every day 60 percent of the time to read. This term is considered to be in mestilah between quotation marks: "read". What he means by reading not only read the books various categories, but also read the public phenomenon. When he tersugesti to write pascamembaca, she just wrote.

"Writing-targetan no targets nor as a money machine. When writing a job, why are new since 25 years ago could only bear 11 books? Just behind the work, there was a conviction; any profession, there may be no award, "said Gus, who now have a wealth of books around 3000 titles, which filled two rooms. "Our main treasure is the book. And there is pride when we can buy books, let alone able to produce a book."

Among the eleven books that Gus has produced two poetry collections, namely cage Meat (1997) and Meat Roots (in process). He also produced three collections of short stories, namely Ketirisan Palace (1996), glittering lights and Blind Women (1999) and Spider (2003). The rest, as many as six books, is novel: Broken Side Square (teenage novel, 1990), Triangle Off Legs (teen novel, 1991), Ben (teen novel, 1992), Tambo A Meeting (2000), Three Love, Mom ( 2002), and Snake Fourth (in process).

Books and the Women's Blind Light sheen has been translated into English by Lontar. While Tambo A meeting is now translated by Michael Bodden into English, and was negotiated by the translator to the publisher metaphor.

Light sheen and Blind Women authors assessed as magical because it represents the first works, written in the early 1990s. Over 14 years later did the book can be appreciated. Nothing is more valuable, but less desirable. Perhaps, these works may be several years into the new front could be appreciated by the reader or literary critic.

Although Gus wrote many Minang cultural backgrounds, not solely the problem of Minang society. Gus is positioned in the Minang story as the view of outsiders. So, do not be surprised, he had problems with slick keindonesiaan serve

WHAT Gus views about literature? According to Gus, the upcoming August 15, even 39 years, the literature should be separate from isms and influence others. Literature would be impoverished if reviewed with reference to other thoughts, such as philosophy.

"Literary works have the charm of the work itself. It can be made as the world itself. Shakespeare could hardly associated with other works, except with the literature," said the husband and father of Abyad Zurniati blessed Bodi, Bodi Jamalina Khanza, and bud Faiha Bodi.

The significance of literature, according to Gus who graduate farms (1994), Andalas University, Padang, is a "pass". He can bring together people of different ethnic, religious, racial and other differences because of the ability of literature or philosophy because of his ability to cross. So did he bring together diverse fields such as science, psychology, or philosophy, because of its ability to cross. Only the ability melintaslah, literature can be created a world in which we, every time to read it, the deeper and deeper terengkuh, then questioning our existence, humans.

With such views and seriousness in the work, almost all the works of Gus won various competitions. He has collected approximately 40 times the title short story writing, writing poetry, writing novels, and won five awards, most recently the SEA Write Award Award from the Royal Thai .* Source, KOMPAS, Tuesday, 27 July 2004