by Boomert - The Equal Heart and Mind by Meredith Mckinney & Patricia Clarke 09 Jan 2010

Judith Wright and philosopher Jack McKinney first met in the 1940s and part of the pleasure of this literary gem is the recreation of a lively postwar Brisbane. The Equal Heart and Mind contains of the letters written between the pair from 1945 to 1950, interspersed with Wright’s poems and family photos. Included is a memoir by daughter Meredith McKinney and finally an epilogue by Judith-‘Jack’s Death’. Patricia Clarke, who worked with Wright on her memoir Half a Lifetime, has written notes to contextualise the pair’s letters. References to Clem Christesen, Barret Reid and Barbara Patterson (later Blackman) will make this book of interest to not only lovers of poetry but also readers of Australian history. This is the most touching of love stories. From ‘have you darned that sock?’ to ‘take care of your precious self; we’ve got a lot of work to do’ their letters reveal a love that was unconventional, deep and pure. Clarke and McKinney have created a lasting and delightful read by respectfully editing and moulding this sensitive work. ‘United in Truth’ is engraved on their tombstone and I think Judith and Jack would have been very moved by the truths revealed in this tribute. This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker