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‘Di Kota Tuhan’: Seeing Probolinggo through biblical lens
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Faith: Poet Stebby Julionatan combines biblical narrative and memories of his hometown, Probolinggo, in poetry collection Di Kota Tuhan, Aku Adalah Daging yang Kau Pecah-Pecah (In the City of God, I am the Body that You Break Into Pieces). (JP/Nedi Putra AW)
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tebby Julionatan shares melancholic tales about his hometown of Probolinggo, East Java, in his latest poetry collection, titled Di Kota Tuhan, Aku Adalah Daging yang Kau Pecah-Pecah (In the City of God, I am the Body that You Break Into Pieces).
“It is my mission to introduce Probolinggo to the public,” the 35-year-old poet said.
Stebby intriguingly writes his poems in biblical frameworks. The 33 poems in the book are divided into two “exegeses”. The first, set from September 2015 to May 2016, takes the narrative form of Genesis. In the second exegesis, Psalms narrative is used to convey the events between May and September 2017.
“I’ve been active in the church since I was a child, so what I portray is inseparable from my experience,” said Stebby, who has a day job at Probolinggo’s communications and information agency.
The book is his way building up pride for the people of Probolinggo. Stebby said Di Kota Tuhan was partly inspired by Andrea Hirata’s acclaimed novel Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), which brought Bangka Belitung to the limelight.
Di Kota Tuhan presents two characters, Rabu and Biru, whose conversations take the readers to some of the well-known spots in Probolinggo, such as Sumber Hidup restaurant with its famous lumpia (spring rolls) and ice cream.
