SWITCH ON In this sequel to SWITCHBACK: An Inner and Outer Journey, Gillian Clezy continues to explore the interwoven strands of her life: personal, professional, emotional, and religious. It is a remarkable journey, both geographically (taking in England, Australia, America, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and China) and psychologically. In her 50s, she stepped back from her profession as a speech therapist (to which she had made important contributions to the theory as well as the practice) and trained in Zurich as a Jungian analytical psychologist. That training allows her to reflect deeply on her life experiences in a way that is both instructive and illuminating, exploring and bringing to consciousness as she does many of the unconscious motives to which we are all subject. Periods of tremendous joy and tenderness, and experiences of great sorrow and struggles, are unflinchingly recounted, during which we, the general reader, may find ourselves reflecting on the inner processes and meaning of our individual, unique lives. As I commented about SWITCHBACK, so too is SWITCH ON "a treasure of a book." Richard Skinner-poet and (as R. N. F. Skinner) novelist GET READY TO GO! It is 1967. A young mother takes some washing to the launderette in her English village, knowing it will be the last time she does so. She, her Australian husband, and two very young children will be setting out to cross the world by sea and land in a couple of days. They are all set to go. She is looking forward to the carefully planned adventure. She is used to adventures. She spies an attractive young woman jauntily walking along the pavement between her and the laundrette. A young man is following her. Within a few minutes, that pretty young woman is lying dead, and the would-be traveller, this writer, has been the only witness. How? Why?
Clezy, Gillian: - Gillian Clezy was born in England before World War II by which time she was happily living with her parents in Istanbul. Much of her childhood was then spent in war time Egypt and early boarding school in England, with many a hazardous journey between. By 1960, Gillian had qualified, begun work and was married to a young Australian. Despite the welcome birth of two little boys, they both longed to travel-and they did-camping across the world to Australia! Settling in Melbourne Gillian became an academic. Confusingly the marriage did not last. Her career slowly expanded across the world through teaching and writing as she too kept learning. She finally settled at The University of Hong Kong while also working for the WHO in mainland China and enjoying time spent with her two sons and grandson. Gillian later decided on a new career and studied for four years at the Carl Jung Institute in Zurich to become an analytical psychologist for the next twenty-five years of her life. That life is still full. She keeps writing as the clock keeps ticking!
