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Handwriting

michael ondaatje

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"Tumultuous, vibrant, tragic and over too soon." -- Newsday

Handwriting is Michael Ondaatje's first new book of poetry since The Cinnamon Peeler . The exquisite poems collected here draw on history, mythology, landscape, and personal memories to weave a rich tapestry of images that reveal the longing for--and expose the anguish over--lost loves, homes, and language, as the poet contemplates scents and gestures and evokes a time when "handwriting occurred on waves, / on leaves, the scripts of smoke" and remembers a woman's "laughter with its / intake of breath. Uhh huh."

Crafted with lyrical delicacy and seductive power, Handwriting reminds us of Michael Ondaatje's stature as one of the finest poets writing today.

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1998

This edition

Format
96 pages, Paperback
Published
March 14, 2000 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN
9780375705410
ASIN
0375705414
Language
English

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About the author

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michael ondaatje

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Philip Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, and essayist, renowned for his contributions to both poetry and prose. He was born in Colombo in 1943, to a family of Tamil and Burgher descent. Ondaatje emigrated to Canada in 1962, where he pursued his education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts from Queen's University.
Ondaatje's literary career began in 1967 with his poetry collection The Dainty Monsters, followed by his celebrated The Collected Works of Billy the Kid in 1970. His poetry earned him numerous accolades, including the Governor General's Award for his collection There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1973–1978 in 1979. He published 13 books of poetry, exploring diverse themes and poetic forms.
In 1992, Ondaatje gained international fame with the publication of his novel The English Patient, which won the Booker Prize and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. His other notable works include In the Skin of a Lion (1987), Anil's Ghost (2000), and Divisadero (2007), which won the Governor General's Award. Ondaatje's novel Warlight (2018) was longlisted for the Booker Prize.
Aside from his writing, Ondaatje has been influential in fostering Canadian literature. He served as an editor at Coach House Books, contributing to the promotion of new Canadian voices. He also co-edited Brick, A Literary Journal, and worked as a founding trustee of the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry.
Ondaatje's work spans various forms, including plays, documentaries, and essays. His 2002 book The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film earned him critical acclaim and won several awards. His plays have been adapted from his novels, including The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and Coming Through Slaughter.
Over his career, Ondaatje has been honored with several prestigious awards. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988, upgraded to Companion in 2016, and received the Sri Lanka Ratna in 2005. In 2016, a new species of spider, Brignolia ondaatjei, was named in his honor.
Ondaatje's personal life is also intertwined with his literary pursuits. He has been married to novelist Linda Spalding, and the couple co-edits Brick. He has two children from his first marriage and is the brother of philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje. He was also involved in a public stand against the PEN American Center's decision to honor Charlie Hebdo in 2015, citing concerns about the publication's anti-Islamic content.
Ondaatje's enduring influence on literature and his ability to blend personal history with universal themes in his writing continue to shape Canadian and world literature.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 92 votes)
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92 reviews All reviews
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Ethan2K
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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These poems give a taste, but did not completely satisfy. While this collection had a certain elegance, an archaeological/mythological scope, toothsome lines, it did not intoxicate me as some other of his work.
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Dark_Weebs
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A bit cloying at times but when this collection works, it sings at a pitch that is nothing short of visionary -- as Graham Swift notes in a blurb for this. The opening poem is extraordinary, and others are just gorgeous. Ondaatje has a way of quieting down a scene so you take in every moment, and small things are deeply felt -- like the shift of the wind, or the settling of the mind into sleep. There are some gorgeous erotic poems in here too; not about the act of sex directly but about desire and the fragments that remain with us. When the poems don't work, they're a bit too saccharine ("Bronze became bronze / around him, / colour became colour.") He's also from Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lankan imagery (native trees, many Buddha statues, traditional architecture) is at times intricate and thoughtful, and at other times a bit opaque and accidentally orientalist to a non-informed reader (when combined with his more spare style). Lovely read, maybe not the best influence to young poets unless they know what specifically to take from his craft (his sense of attention -- not his vocabulary).
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Caller_of_Void
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Mesmerisingly beautiful poetry. I love every single poem in this collection. Some, like Step, have stayed with me since the first reading. Collections like this can be dipped into as and when you need soul soothing, or beautiful words to elevate or collaborate with your mood. Often about grief or loss, Ondaatje's collected poems in this slim book are simple, elegant and deeply pleasurable to read and savour.
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issayori
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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These poems are excellent. This book feels like one where it matters whether you read the poems in order or not. I think it’s best read in order. They build on one another. There are many stand alone greats but I felt like they made more of an impact when read with others. The poems deal with Sri Lankan history and imagery. They made me want to visit and find ancient statues buried in the jungle.
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vavoysh
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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The poems transport the reader to exotic places and sacred histories while evoking all the senses to share the experience.
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seanmagicalweeb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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While I appreciate his prose better than his poetry, there is beauty in this work. It offers a glimpse into another culture with poetry, which I tend to believe is the best way to view a culture. I found it fascinating. And there were a few poems that transcended culture and touched me based my own experiences.

THE DISTANCE OF A SHOUT

We lived on the medieval coast
south of the warrior kingdoms
during the ancient age of the winds
as they drove all things before them.

Monks from the both came
down our streams floating - that was
the year on one ate river fish.

There was no book of the forest,
no book of the sea, but these
are the places people died.

Handwriting occurred on waves,
on leaves, the scripts of smoke,
a sign on a bridge along the Mahaweli River.

A gradual acceptance of this new language.
(For me, if you take out the name of the river, this hearkens to the feelings of my ancestors back in 1066 on the British Isles.)

THE FIRST RULE OF SINHALESE ARCHITECTURE

Never build three doors
in a straight line

A devil might rush
through them
deep into your house,
into your life

THE GREAT TREE (PART THREE)

"So I have always held you in my heart…"

The great 14th century poet calligrapher
mourns the death of his friend

Language attacks the paper from the air

There is only a path of blossoms

no flamboyant movement

A night of smoky ink in 1361
a night without a staircase

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