Overview

In The Distance of a Shout, Michael Ondaatje has assembled some of his finest poems into a singular poetic memoir that invokes the arc of his own journey over fifty years. “Michael Ondaatje remains our very best poet-turned-novelist. . . . [he] has always observed the world with a balanced mix of delight, awe, and humor, deadly serious about matters of the heart without ever taking himself too seriously.” —Lit Hub Through poems that grow out of his profound understanding of the subtle complexities of life and relationships, of how we lose and find ourselves, Michael Ondaatje navigates his own past, beginning with memories of distant landscapes, remembrances of his childhood in Sri Lanka and his eccentric family, to his life in rural southern Ontario with its beloved rivers, celebrations of admired fellow travellers and treasured friends, the close ties of children. Ondaatje is one of the great poets of love, and here we follow him through the exhilarations of youth, into that “storm of music” and the passionate swerves of longing and desire, until we reach the calm of that moment when “only a cloud’s reflection holding you up // You swim into late afternoon.” The Distance of a Shout offers us a glimpse into the life and art of one of our most cherished poets and novelists—a reminder itself of the power of great poetry to shine a light on living.

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9780593805015

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Reviews

“Michael Ondaatje remains our very best poet-turned-novelist. . . [he] has always observed the world with a balanced mix of delight, awe, and humor, deadly serious about matters of the heart without ever taking himself too seriously. . . . From the elation of early loves to the exquisite intensities of fatherhood to the somber meditations of aging, he has created a beautiful memoir in verse, a lasting document of a life lived in wonder and honesty.” —Lit Hub “A superb and comprehensive collection of selected works, or ‘condensary of time,’ that crystallizes for devotees and new readers alike the poet’s lifelong devotion to place. . . . Exquisite attention to sensory details lends the poems a philosophical dimension. . . . Readers will revel in this astonishing volume.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Author Information

MICHAEL ONDAATJE is the author of seven novels, including Coming Through Slaughter, The Cat’s Table, and Warlight; a memoir, Running in the Family; a nonfiction book on film editing, The Conversations; and several books of poetry, including A Year of Last Things, The Cinnamon Peeler, and Handwriting. His many international accolades include the 1992 Booker Prize for the novel The English Patient, which was made into a film by Anthony Minghella. Born in Sri Lanka, Michael Ondaatje lives in Toronto.

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