29:
248:, a former Canadian prime minister, was reported to have "hated the award-winning book and called a news conference to denounce it." The publicity of the event helped boost sales, however, and in the end the book is widely acknowledged to be a good first effort, and indeed it was: Ondaatje would go on to write another award-winning novel,
240:, calling it "a good little book, carefully crafted and thoroughly literate." In a more sober 1974 review, Phoebe Adams wrote that the book is " bizarre project altogether, accomplished with a sporadic brilliance that merits attention." When the book was given another print in 2009, one reviewer wrote that
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and the
Toronto Free Theatre. The play has received generally positive critical attention. Before the 1990 run in Toronto, Ondaatje revised his original script to better explore the female characters in the work. He stated that the original work was "a very male book" and that JoAnn, the director
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Ondaatje agreed for the work to be adapted as a chamber opera by the
English composer Gavin Bryars, with the libretto made by Jean Lacornerie, who staged the work. It was presented at the two co-commissioning theatres in Lyon, Le Théâtre de la Croix-Rouse and Le Théâtre de la Renaissance, in March
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Ondaatje is quoted as saying: "I didn't want a book that explained him, that was a kind of sociological study of this cowboy or this killer." He achieves this goal by writing much of the book in the first person perspective, from Billy's point of view – this forces the reader to identify, and
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On its release, the volume received largely positive reviews. Most notably, it received the
Governor General's Literary Award for poetry in 1970 from the Canadian Arts Council. Karyl Roosevelt also praised the book in the
311:. While the album is not a direct adaptation of the work, there are several similar plot themes and general storytelling style. Some of these themes are carried forward in some fashion to their second album,
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2018 and subsequently toured. The musical performance was directed by GĂ©rard
Lecointe, with the French pop singer Bertrand Belin as Billy the Kid and the soprano Claron MacFadden playing all female role.
244:'The Collected Works of Billy the Kid' already feels like a modern classic, the book in which a great writer first learned to do a trick with a knife." There was some negative reaction, however.
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The book was written by
Ondaatje in the late 1960s in Canada, after he emigrated from Ceylon to England and further relocated to Quebec in order to attend college. It was initially published by
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The book presents a series of poems not necessarily in chronological order which fictionalize and relate Bonney's more famous exploits, after the end of the
290:, the new vision was created by the company of five actors and Jemmett. The show was subsequently presented in Madrid, Spain, and Paris, France, at the
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Ondaatje gave permission for the work to be the subject of a new adaptation by
English theater director Dan Jemmett in 2007. Originally produced in
206:(now Sri Lanka). His characterization of Billy the Kid is largely a reaction against the clichéd "comic book" western heroes he read at the time.
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Thompson, Bob (30 May 2007). "Michael
Ondaatje, In Peak Form; Coming at a Story From Different Angles, the Author Constructs a Novel".
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The imagery and language is generally dark and compressed, evocative of the suspense and violence that characterizes Bonney's story.
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Press in 1970, and reprinted in 1979 by
Wingbow Press, the printing arm of the now-defunct distributor
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155:. The narrative includes his relationship with John and Sallie Chisum, his formation of a gang with
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279:'s Toronto production, "has brought out subtleties that were hidden – too hidden."
135:, published in 1970. It chronicles and interprets important events in the life of
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Adams, Phoebe (November 1974). "The
Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Book".
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The novel was also a source of inspiration for the 2012 album
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Wagner, Vic (6 April 1990). "Ondaatje's Billy Rides Again".
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Wagner, Vit (6 April 1990). "Ondaatje's Billy Rides Again".
317:(2015), although the influence is somewhat less pronounced.
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possibly even empathize with, Bonney's actions and emotions.
371:"The Governor General's Literary Awards: Past Winners 1970"
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Ondaatje adapted the novel into a play. It premiered in
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Ondaatje has stated that he first became interested in
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The
Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems
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The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems
188:, mostly from Bonney's perspective, to tell the story.
171:, his escape and the ensuing murder of James Bell and
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Weeks, Jerome (January 1998). "Outlaw By Ondaatje".
139:, aka Billy the Kid, and his conflict with Sheriff
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223:. Its most recent reprint was in 2009 by
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102:Governor-General Literary Award - Poetry
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391:Roosevelt, Karyl (17 November 1977).
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535:"Lord Huron is at Home on the Range"
393:"Original Fiction with Toxic Heroes"
16:1970 verse novel by Michael Ondaatje
266:in multiple times, notably at the
202:as a child in his home country of
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507:O'Driscoll, Bill (14 June 2007).
533:Oloizia, Jeff (4 October 2012).
179:Technical and stylistic elements
509:"Dan Jemmett and Billy the Kid"
436:Rayner, Richard (24 May 2009).
163:, his standoff with Garrett in
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369:Canada Council For The Arts.
167:, his arrest and escape from
292:Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
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563:Novels by Michael Ondaatje
397:The New York Times Online
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184:Makes use of free verse
254:, and several others.
513:Pittsburgh City Paper
442:The Los Angeles Times
438:"Tricks With A Knife"
268:Dallas Theater Center
225:Vintage International
558:1970 Canadian novels
419:The Atlantic Monthly
356:The Washington Post
251:The English Patient
211:Publication history
169:Lincoln, New Mexico
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539:Interview Magazine
272:Stratford Festival
231:Critical reception
153:Lincoln County War
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90:Publication place
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338:The Toronto Star
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277:Tarragon Theatre
246:John Diefenbaker
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165:Stinking Springs
133:Michael Ondaatje
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74:Publication date
42:Michael Ondaatje
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173:Robert Olinger
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147:Plot summary
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67:Anansi Press
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518:9 September
141:Pat Garrett
129:verse novel
552:Categories
321:References
309:Lord Huron
284:Pittsburgh
258:Adaptation
221:Bookpeople
425:(5): 124.
294:in 2013.
286:, PA, by
186:vignettes
63:Publisher
478:(1): 12.
452:27 March
402:27 March
376:25 March
200:Westerns
47:Language
275:of the
264:Toronto
80: (
50:English
270:, the
217:Anansi
204:Ceylon
104:(1970)
98:Awards
93:Canada
58:Poetry
39:Author
127:is a
55:Genre
520:2014
454:2013
404:2013
378:2013
159:and
110:ISBN
82:1970
78:1970
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307:by
131:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
