Montage from readers’ perspective

Magnificent Achievement

As 'Montage' enters the second illustrious year of its existence, we need to recognize the fact that 'Montage' marks an important moment in the forward movement of cultural journalism of our country. Ranga Chandrarathne and Indeewara Thilakarathne - the live wires behind the project - through their boundless enthusiasm and unflagging devotion have carved out an unassailable space for focused discussions of arts and letters in Sri Lanka.

Gunadasa Amarasekera, for many years, has been lamenting the absence of in informed cultural conversation in our country. 'Montage', I hope, will create the nurturing soil for the rise of such a conversation. Ranga and Indeewara have sought to highlight the intersections of global, national and local forces in the sphere of culture and index the flows of multiple cultural modernities. At the same time, they have encouraged the idea of 'complex seeing' that my former teacher Raymond Williams valued so highly as a way of engaging the knotted intellectual fabric of our age. Nuanced cultural knowledge is no guarantee of an ordered society, but its absence is a virtual guarantee of a chaotic one.

There is a copiousness and energy in much of the writings in 'Montage' that is wholly admirable. In my column, I have sought to commute freely between deconstructive gymnastics of Derrida, the intricate poetics of cinema of Deleuze (both of which I have studied intensely over many decades) and the complex under-music of Sinhala and Sanskrit poetry ( which again I have studied over many decades) so as to extend the discursive boundaries of our cultural conversation. Whether I comment on the novels of the Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee or those of Martin Wickremasinghe, I try to keep in mind Derrida's helpful words. 'The reading must always aim at a certain relationship, unperceived by the writer, between what he commands and what he does not command of the patterns of that language that he uses.'

Ranga and Indeewara, have had a way of convincing the writers who meet in its pages of the value of their mission. In this regard, I was reminded of John Updike's exuberantly confessional statement. 'An invitation to print is an opportunity to make something beautiful, to discover within oneself a treasure that would otherwise have remained buried.' Ranga and Indeewara,and everyone else involved in the production of 'Montage' should be congratulated on a magnificent achievement. Efforts such as theirs are increasingly needed as we face each other across a gulf of language, culture and sensibility. May the years ahead prove to be even more exciting and fruitful.

Prof. Wimal Dissanayake

Commendable effort

Over the last hundred years, the Sinhalese readership and number of copies of book published in Sinhala has, regrettably, been reduced. It was mentioned that 10,000 copies of a novel by Piyadasa Sirisena and drama script by John de Silva had been published and sold in the beginning of the 20th century.

This situation has changed dramatically by the dawn of 21th century. Now, some publishers printed only 250 copies of a literary production. This shows how unimportant Sinhalese literature has become. It is worth here to compare sales of Sinhalese literary productions with Japanese literary productions. For instance, the first and the second editions of Murakami Haruki's latest novel 'Nineteen Eighty Four' which was published in May 2009 and by December 2009, over 10 million copies of one edition were sold. The third edition was released in April 2010 and sold 3 million copies. His novels have been translated into several languages including into English. It shows that reading habit of Japanese readers has not been affected by technological advancement in the country. What a huge gab is there between the Sinhalese readership and Japanese readership.

Therefore, the attempts that Montage, Cultural Paradigm of Sunday Observer made to expand readership for Sinhalese literary production by introducing them to English readership is commendable.

It should be mentioned here that writers Ranga Chandrarathne and Indeewara Thilakarathne made a lasting contribution by translating Sinhalese novels and introducing Sinhalese literary figures and their literary productions to English readership. I hope they would expand their scope, in the future, by translating Sinhalese short stories, poetry and academic articles.

Prof. Ariya Rajakaruna

Best wishes

Our very warm congratulations to you both on bringing Montage to its first birthday. Your many readers of today will find different things to praise in your achievement, but we are certain that a generation of young readers will look back gratefully one day to the precious opportunities you are providing for regular encounters through English with the best local and international writing.

Having worked with NEW CEYLON WRITING for fourteen crucial years from 1970 to 1984, we know something of the difficulties you face in maintaining a consistently high standard in unpropitious times. The rewards and satisfactions of such work are great, however, and we are glad to assure you that they are also lasting. Many fine Sri Lankan writers who are well-known today achieved early publication and recognition in the pages of that pioneering journal.

We send our best wishes for the continuing success of Montage, and its inspired and hard-working editors.

Dr. Brendon Gooneratne and Prof. Yasmine Gooneratne

Pemberley House, Haputale

The task ahead

As Montage enters its second year, its authors Ranga Chandrarathne and Indeewara Thilakarathne deserve our respect and admiration for what they are trying to achieve through its columns.

What they have been trying to achieve is almost an impossible task in our present situation.

Over the last few decades, we have witnessed the growth of non-intellectual, non-ideological society without a mission or mores. After 77, consumerism appears to be the only ideology guiding this moronic society.

To explain that situation, I have over the last years advanced a tentative hypothesis (using Sinhala literary scene as my field of inquiry) wherein, I have attempted to see the intellectual and cultural dialogue of a society as being based on the political dialogue at any given time. Going further, I have attempted to see the literary discourse as a supra-dialogue built on this intellectual dialogue.

The decadence in the Sinhala literary field as well as the emergence of the Peradeniya School was explained in terms of this hypothesis. In my opinion, the mid 50s saw the end of two political dialogues-the minor dialogue conducted by Marxists and major national dialogue initiated by Anagarika Dharmapala. In my view, this end was conterminous with the advent of the new political party-the SLFP which was a direct off-shoot of the National Dialogue.

But it was ironic and unfortunate that the advent of Nationalist Political party which should have taken that National Dialogue to a higher plane, taking the minor Marxist dialogue into its fold, should have ended taking away what little intellectual content that was remaining in that dialogue. It was replaced by empty rhetoric of the politician and vulgar display of worthless symbols in the name of Nationalism.

With the political power going into the hands of rural masses and emergence of vast middle class, hell-bent on going up the ladder, the situation was just right for J.R Jayewardene to achieve his political ambitions by exposing the country to neo-colonialism presented in the garb of Dharmishta Samajaya. What was expected of a new dawn ended in great darkness which has continued up to today.

To see this plight as a result of 'Swabhasa' or monolingualism, I feel far too simplistic. As a matter of fact I find the monolingual Sinhala reader of today who is groping in the dark as having far greater intellectual curiosity than his elitist Anglophone counterpart who has become a victim of the present global idiocy.

In spite of what I have said above, I believe it is possible for a committed intellectual class- the free floating intelligentsia to initiate an intellectual cultural dialogue that can create an awareness which is a prerequisite for other changes. Whether such awareness can be sustained without the support of a political dialogue is a different matter. It is certainly possible especially in a society like ours which has retained its cultural tradition, in spite of political vicissitudes it had to face.

I think it is this conviction that has emboldened those two young men to carry on their crusade. I think they are fortunate in having an intellectual like Prof. Wimal Dissanayake to guide them in this task.

Gunadasa Amerasekara

Congratulations

A year ago when the pages of MONTAGE opened in August 2009 wrote a letter of congratulations to the Sunday Observer, for opening a spring board for the arts and culture of today which needs space, a chance to unfold in newspapers packed with politics, business, current affairs and advertisements. Today I repeat my congratulations to the two editors who have succeeded in their mission, Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrathne deserve two garlands of appreciation from writers, old and new, from artists, poets, dramatists and musicians, to mention a few. The pages have brought to the attention of readers what is happening in the present world of culture and post- modernism work.

Having come to know these two young journalists, personally, I know how dedicated they are to their work. They spend their hours, apart from office work in reviewing musical performances, dramas, interviewing artists and meeting people from all walks of life who are involved in cultural activities. Many professors from here as well as from abroad, contribute valuable points of view to this column.

While Indeewara writes the editorial of MONTAGE and explains the works of modem poets, Ranga handle translations and interviews and other creative work.

Very soon they hope to have translation of works in Tamil displayed on their pages. Their doors have been recently opened to writing of foreign stones like Julia Cortazar and Michelanggelo Antonioni, in a column named BOOM AND BEYOND.

Both recently attended a cultural conference in Singapore and returned with fresh hope and enthusiasm and new ideas.

I wish them both joy and continued success in their chosen work.

-Punyakante Wijenaike

History, culture, literature and fine arts-the Montage's forte

I offer my congratulations and good wishes to Montage on its first anniversary. Of a Sunday Morning it's with a kind of literary excitement that I turn the pages of the Sunday Observer, by-passing all the advertisements and marriage proposals ( not interested in buying anything in my old age) to find something interesting and provocative to read in Montage.

Ranga Chandrarathne and Indeewara Thilakarathne at the helm of the project are committed, young enthusiastic journalists. No undertaking can be successful without the commitment of its executives. Indeewara and Ranga are totally committed to their wholesome endeavour.

History, culture, literature and fine arts are the Montage's forte. The critical insight of the editors and the writers they have invited to contribute is outstanding. They broaden the cultural ethos of the reader while delving into the depth of local culture and art: valuable international artistic and literary creations are described and critiqued to grasp their complexities and beauty.

As a bilingual writer I have always felt that a newspaper literary supplement could do a great deal to promote interaction and understanding between English, Sinhala, Tamil writers and their respective creative work. As such I am very happy that Montage is playing attention to this aspect of literary creation. Even in a small way, by translating Sinhala novels into English, Montage is showing English reader/ writer their Sinhalese and Tamil counterparts' work can enrich their (English writers) cultural sensitivity.

I must make special mention of my friend Prof. Wimal Dissanayake's Column while thanking the editors for getting him to contribute. Yesterday an old English student of mine telephoned me to ask for an explanation of the ward 'prosody'. Not only did she want that but also wanted to find a copy of 'Salalihini Sandesaya' to read. She, a university teacher of Business Studies, was provoked or rather inspired by Wimal's article in Montage, 'Rhyme and Reason in Poetry'.

May Montage inspire its readers to greater intellectual and creative heights.

Sita Kulatunga

Montage, stage for artists

It is not an exaggeration to introduce Montage, Cultural Paradigm of Sunday Observer as an attempt to raise the level of appreciation of classical music and Visual and Performing Arts. Dedication and commitment on the part of Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne to popularise classical music and Performing Arts at a time people are less exposed to it is an example for the present day youth. I consider Montage as a stage for performers.

It provides a much-needed forum for intellectual discourse and space for classical music which is lacking in mainstream Sri Lankan journalism. It promotes, among other things, highly evolved forms of art and classical literature which are part and parcel of humanity.

-Dr. Nirmala Kumari Rodrigo Senior Lecturer in Music The University of Visual and Performing Arts

Outstanding supplement

"MONTAGE" a key word in film making (Meaning Editing) is an outstanding supplement devoted to the Arts-viz- Literature, Theatre, Films, Music, Painting, Translations, authored by specialists in their chosen fields- a journalistic distillation of modern theories on contemporary aesthetics'.

My Best Wishes for the First Anniversary.

Dr.Lester James Peries

Dedicated to high culture

On the first anniversary of 'Montage,' I take great pleasure in applauding the Sunday Observer for having the altruism, in these trying times, on being the only broadsheet in the country to have a dedicated section for high culture.

Ranga and Indeewara have to be congratulated for keeping alive an active discourse on the arts in Sri Lanka. Happy birthday!

Lakshman Joseph de Saram

Most readable and educative supplement

On the 1st Anniversary of "Montage" a word that has personal resonance for me as a film maker I wish to congratulate Ranga Chandraratne and Indeewara Thillakarathne for their excellent scholarship and initiative in bringing out a most readable and educative supplement.

Sumitra Peries

Montage popularises Carnatic music and Hindu culture

Let me congratulate Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne and Montage team on the occasion of the first anniversary of Montage, Cultural Paradigm of Sunday Observer. As a keen reader of Montage and a classical musician, I appreciate Montage's contribution to popularise Carnatic music and Hindu culture. It is indeed a weekly literary and cultural feast which gives equal space and consideration of all forms of arts. Montage's co-editors' continuous attempt at depicting Hindu and Tamil culture is commendable. Montage's articles and features are highly informative and expand the intellectual vistas of its deserving readers. Dance drama such as Ramayana and Sakuntala were appreciated with minute details and with background information which made the reviews both informative and appeal to the intellectual audience.

Kalasuri Deshanethru Arunthathy Sri Ranganathan