'Crazy' Author Named Pidi Baiq

"Singkatnya, saya sebagai ayahnya, merasa.. apa ya, merasa apa salahnya, gitu. Bapak-bapak. Apa salahnya kalau saya adakan syukuran atas jerih payah anak saya, Timur ini, karena sudah bisa tamat menyelesaikan game Naruto. Karena menurut saya, pasti itu bukanlah hal mudah. Kita yangmeskipun sudah tua dan dibilang sudah makan asam garam kehidupan ini, belum tentu juga memainkan game Naruto, lebih-lebih sampai menamatkannya”. (Drunken Molen page.31).

That’s Pidi Baiq. In glance, he seems an ordinary humor books writer. His books usually talk about his awkward and weird life experiences. But he doesn’t really agree if people say that he is a weirdo. ”For me, writing is like playing. If my words don’t fit a formal style, so why? Is that wrong? It’s not only about the wrong and right way. I don’t want to be a culture slave, but I want to make my own culture,” he said.


He claimed, he doesn’t really care about meaning or definitions. For him, the most important thing is the message inside the book can be understood by the readers. When he was asked about what that he wants to share with the readers, he answered “That’s it! The message I want to share is there’s nothing. I want to share. So, when people read my books, just it. This is only an ordinary story. Hahaha,” said him with laugh. “It will be better if we keep silent than we said: ‘with the Pancasila’s spirit, let’s build this country! But in fact, nothing,” he adds.

The honestly in writing, that’s the point that Pidi hold. “Just be honest. That’s why I want to write “Cacatan Harian,” not a “catatan harian.” He doesn’t want to obey the rules. For him, rules are only for references. “As long as it doesn’t break the principle, I try not to obey it,” he said. In his opinion, Chairil Anwar – a famous Indonesian poet – became popular because he didn’t follow older poets’ style, Rendra also refuse to follow Chairil Anwars’ style and it’s always like that. “That’s why, a culture will not grow if there are no rebellions,” said Pidi.


Pidi Baiq Books (source: google.com)

Pidi as a Dean

Many people don’t know that Pidi Baiq was a dean at ARS International University for 2 years. But, he resigned because he felt unhappy. “For me, it was not about status, problem in work, money, or problem in create something, but I was just not happy being there.” He said that he was like a cat. “If barking is being trend, so i will not join a barking course. If I join barking course, I will lose my identity. It doesn’t matter being a cat although it’s not a trend,” he said.

Experience as a dean made Pidi Baiq got an opinion about educational stuff now. In his opinion, now schools only ‘doing knowing’. “Students are like parrots in a cage that can be talked to.” He also said, so does it in campus life. “Many people get bored with school because they only get knowledge and assignments. College students do their assignments just because it was given by the lecturers, and the lecturers give them assignments just because they only want to get their salaries. Right? Tell this to your lecturers from The Great Leader of The Panas Dalam. Hahahaha,” said him.

He also told us, when he was a college student, he got a weird treat from the Authority. Because there was a mindset: “you are the student and I am the lecturer”. That’s really weird. Lecturers looked like God who always had to be obeyed and the students became robots which can be commanded. Why can’t we be good partners? When I was a college student, I was not the good one, but I was a rebel.” the founder of The Panas Dalam Band said.

BIO
Name: Pidi Baiq
Date of Birth: Bandung, 8 Agustus 1972
Height: 155 cm, same with in the drivers lisences.
Wife: Rosi Pidi Baiq
Children: Timur Laut dan Bebe Pidi Baiq
Job: The Great Leader of The Panas Dalam
His Books: Drunken Monster, Drunken Molen, Drunken Mama, The Panas Dalam band, Silinder I and II comic
Hobies: Sleep and Herding The Panas Dalam’s Society
His Idol: Bob Dylan, Rabindanath Tagore, Salman Rushdie, Hasan Tiro

Written and Photo by: Iman Purnama & Agne Yasa
Video by: Laila Ramdhini & Agne Yasa