Mary Barnes

Drawing on her Ojibwa roots and storytelling, Barnes shares stories that take the heart on the path to the past, nostalgic though it may be, wherein lies discovery, memories, and rhythms that ease the soul. Touching, tender but never overwrought, Barnes' poetry brings wonder to the spirit of nature and provides a sense of connection to the things most often overlooked.

In 1971 Mary Barnes published Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey Through Madness. The book is probably the most celebrated contemporary account of what it is like to be mad. In it she describes the experience of profound regression in London's best-known community household of the 1960s, Kingsley Hall. Something Sacred continues the story, describing her subsequent life and her involvement in a series of psychotherapeutic households, this time as a helper to others. She looks back on the Kingsley Hall years with detachment, humour and gratitude. Her observations on problems of mental health care, the relationship between psychotherapy and religious practice, and the nature of deep regression will stimulate much thought.