This friend of mine, I nickname him the most creative and productive human being. He writes numerous books and paints countless paintings. A pandemic? It had no effect on him. I am fortunate to have been entrusted by him to edit his short stories and several of his non-fiction works. Jobs from this friend of mine were a tremendous help when I was struck by the severe effects of chemotherapy. I almost gave up, feeling as though life was about to end. Yet he would always greet me: “Come on, stay spirited!” (while sending wonderful films/DVDs), “Eat a lot” (while sending various delicious Ampel culinary specialties), “Let’s get back to work!” (while sending manuscripts to edit). That made me feel life still had meaning. While editing from bed, I trained my linguistic sensitivity, exercised my fingers so they wouldn’t grow stiff, chased away boredom, and warded off senility.
Hamid Nabhan’s works are compelling. There are three of his paintings at my home, both large and small. His deep affection for Impressionism compels him to write down his knowledge and painting experiences regarding the genre. This book on Impressionism can serve as a reliable guide for art students and painting learners, written as it is by a practicing painter. He also writes history and travelogues concerning foreign countries (particularly the North African and Middle Eastern regions).
Hamid Nabhan possesses a sharp social sensibility. At the onset of the pandemic, he wrote the short story “Badut dan Penyair” (The Clown and the Poet), themed around the hardships of life during the pandemic era. Not long after, when politicians’ empty promises became fodder for criticism, Nabhan wrote the short story “Janji” (The Promise), concerning the trading of vows by regional head candidates during a campaign season. When the social assistance corruption issue exploded, out came the short story “Topeng Monyet” (The Monkey Mask), about a macaque stealing food supplies from a storage warehouse. Even when a certain ustadh experienced a dream and that dream was brought into question, Nabhan penned the short story “Mimpi” (The Dream), centering on a man who dreamt of becoming president and was arrested and tortured because of it.
Almost all of his short stories are written in a simple stylistic tone with unpretentious plots, making them a joy to read and effortlessly easy to understand.
Reading Hamid Nabhan’s works is like witnessing contemporary Indonesian sociopolitical life.
Observing the characters within his short stories is much like looking in a mirror at ourselves. That is the true strength of a Hamid Nabhan.
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