Recently there has also been a growing discussion about the return of the New Order, slowly rising up from its wide-open grave. It’s also quite timely, considering that in 2019 Indonesia will have a presidential election that might change everything. I’m happy that these stories finally come into its English-speaking readers. It asks us: what if the porcelain vase really goes shattered? The story speaks of a complicated Indonesian obsession with being “unscathed”, “pristine”, but also perhaps all the more: “virgin.” The story subverts those realities by making that allegorical comparison literal. It's about Yin Yin, a porcelain doll who gets shattered after an obedient cat called Sweetie nudges her. One of my favorite stories from the book is “Sejak Porselen Berpipi Merah itu Pecah”. I have been a long-time admirer and observer of her work ever since I read her first short story collection in 2005, Sihir Perempuan (Black Magic Woman, 2005). Last year in Brussels, I spent a week living under the same roof with Intan Paramaditha.
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