Isan Writers, Thai Literature: Writing and Regionalism in Modern Thailand

Chapter 6: Isan Writing at the End of the 20th Century

180 Isan Writing at the End of the 20th Century Isan literary culture at the end of the 20th century was a complex agglomeration of people, publications, and events. While the outside observer might tend to think of literature in terms of books on a shelf, or perhaps short pieces in a magazine, and thus might be tempted to focus on texts, a more complete picture of the subject can be gained by expanding one’s observations to encompass writers, readers, and the activities they engage in. As others have noted, writing is a solitary endeavor, and when a book is published in Thailand, it typically has a print run of 2,000 copies, reflecting a rather small reading public. The more successful books are reprinted, in special cases several times, but many effectively disappear after six months or a year. Judged by this situation alone, national literary life, and the Isan component of it, might appear moribund. However, the activities of writers, readers, publishers, critics, and others involved with literature combine to form a dynamic literary culture surrounding the comparatively static (or fading) existence of books. This larger context encompassing written materials often seems to get more attention than the materials themselves. In 1999, a variety of events occurred every week (primarily in Bangkok, but some in the provinces as well) with literature at their center, whether formal or informal, public or private, commercial, academic, or artistic, and many of them were discussed in the press. An understanding of Isan writing requires an examination of this literary culture. On a day-to-day basis, the most obvious and omnipresent elements of literary culture are magazines and journals. In 1999, there were five principal weeklies (all published in Bangkok) with significant literary content: the CHAPTER 6 news magazines, Matichon, Siam Rath, Nation,1 and Than Sethakit;2 and the Sunday edition of Krungthep Thurakit newspaper, which contains a section devoted entirely to literature.3 These periodicals regularly publish poetry, serialized novels, and short stories (including foreign pieces translated into Thai), as well as reviews, interviews, and accounts of literary events, usually in the form of regular columns but sometimes as occasional or onetime features by freelance contributors.4 Gossip, rumor, and innuendo about particular famous literary figures are often included as well. Now and then, one or another of the publications will have a running debate (or feud) in its pages, in the form of letters or columns, between advocates of certain points of view (such as the disagreement between Fon and Wanich described in Chapter 5). All of these kinds of articles commonly cover a variety of writers and literature, including those of Isan, and many are penned by Isan writers themselves. Until the end of the 1990s, there were also two major literary magazines in Thailand, both of which frequently featured materials by or about Isan writers. Writer magazine, a monthly, commenced publication in 1992 and closed in 1998. Cho’ Karaket, which was founded in the late 1980s by veteran editor Suchart Sawatsri, ceased its quarterly publication in 1999, not long after a fire destroyed its offices.5 Other national periodicals with some literary content include the monthly, Sinlapawatthanatham (Arts and Culture), university journals from Thammasat and Chulalongkorn Isan Writing at the End of the 20th Century 181 1 This weekly Thai-language publication, เนช่ันสุดสัปดาห์, is not to be confused with the English-language daily of the same name; both are owned by the parent company, the Nation Group. The Nation Weekend contains a weekly literature and culture column by Suchart Sawatsri (using the pen name, Sing Sanamluang); in 1999 it was thus the only remaining periodical with regular input from Suchart. 2 Of these, Matichon, Siam Rath, and the Nation weeklies are considered socially conscious and of better quality; they cover international and domestic news, politics, popular culture, literature, science, and sports. 3 Krungthep Thurakit became a kind of replacement for the defunct Writer and Cho’ Karaket magazines (see below), but is generally considered a weak substitute. (Cho’karaket has since been resurrected.) 4 Some prominent writers were on the staff of these weeklies, e.g., Wat Wanlayangkul at Siam Rath and Wanich Jarungkitanan at Matichon. 5 Both these publications labored under financial strain and insufficient subscriptions. For example, Cho’ Karaket at its peak had less than 1,500 subscribers. Suchart Sawatsri, Interview, June 23, 1999, Bangkok. 182 Isan Writers, Thai Literature Universities, and monthly magazines...