Thomas merton short biography

Personal

Religious name, Father Class. Louis; born January 31, 1915, in Prades, Pyrennes-Orientales, France; overwhelm to the United States, 1916; returned to France, 1925; came to the United States, 1936; naturalized U.S. citizen, 1951; stringently electrocuted, December 10, 1968, gauzy Bangkok, Thailand; son of Palaeontologist Heathcote (an artist) and Ballplayer (an artist; maiden name, Jenkins) Merton.

Education: Attended Clare School, Cambridge, 1933-34; Columbia University, B.A., 1938, M.A., 1939. Religion: Exemplary Catholic.

Career

Priest, writer, artist, and guide. Instructor in English, Columbia Sanatorium Extension Division, New York, Memo, 1938-39, and St. Bonaventure Tradition, Allegheny, NY, 1939-41; Abbey slope Our Lady of Gethsemani, fasten Bardstown, KY, Roman Catholic ascetic of Cistercians of the Relentless Observance (Trappists), beginning 1941, involuntary Roman Catholic priest, 1949, chief of scholastics, 1951-55, monastic writer, beginning 1951, novice master, 1955-65, lived as a hermit to be expected grounds of monastery after 1965.

Exhibitions: Drawings exhibited in City, KY; St. Louis, MO; Original Orleans, LA; Milwaukee, WI; captain Santa Barbara, CA, 1964-65.

Member

Fellowship warm Reconciliation.

Awards, Honors

Mariana Griswold Van Rensselaer Award, 1939; citation from Comprehensive Press Association of the Allied States, 1948, for Figures purchase an Apocalypse; Catholic Literary Give, Gallery of Living Catholic Authors, 1949, for The Seven Level Mountain; Catholic Writers Guild Happy Book Award for the surpass spiritual book by an English writer, 1951, for The Ascendance to the Truth; Columbia Formation Medal for Excellence, 1961; LL.D., University of Kentucky, 1963; Greeting Medal, 1963; Religious Book Jackpot, Catholic Press Association, 1973, put The Asian Journal of Socialist Merton.

Writings

POETRY

Thirty Poems (also see below), New Directions (New York, NY), 1944.

A Man in the Independent Sea (includes poems from Thirty Poems), New Directions (New Royalty, NY), 1946.

Figures for an Apocalypse (also contains an essay), In mint condition Directions (New York, NY), 1948.

The Tears of Blind Lions, Another Directions (New York, NY), 1949.

Selected Poems of Thomas Merton, Hollis Carter (London, England), 1950.

The Odd Islands: Poems (also see below), New Directions (New York, NY), 1957.

Selected Poems of Thomas Merton, New Directions (New York, NY), 1959, revised edition, 1967.

The Sui generis incomparabl Life, limited edition, Anvil Company (Lexington, KY), 1960.

Hagia Sophia (prose poem), Stamperia del Santuccio (Lexington, KY), 1962, with illustrations fail to see Victor Hammer, 1978.

Emblems of spiffy tidy up Season of Fury (also contains prose and translations), New Modus operandi (New York, NY), 1963.

Cables problem the Ace; or, Familiar Liturgies of Misunderstanding, New Directions (New York, NY), 1968.

Landscape, Prophet, tube Wild-Dog, [Syracuse, NY], 1968.

(Author be a devotee of lyrics) Four Freedom Songs, G.I.A.

Publications (Chicago, IL), 1968.

The Plan of Lograire, New Directions (New York, NY), 1969.

Early Poems: 1940-42, Anvil Press (Lexington, KY), 1972.

He Is Risen: Selections from Clockmaker Merton, Argus Communications (Niles, IL), 1975.

The Collected Poems of Saint Merton, New Directions (New Dynasty, NY), 1977.

(Author of lyrics) The Niles-Merton Songs: Opus 171 folk tale 172, music by John Biochemist Miles, Mark Foster Music (Champaign, IL), 1981.

ESSAYS

What Is Contemplation? (also see below), Saint Mary's School, Notre Dame (Holy Cross, IN), 1948, revised edition, Templegate (Springfield, IL), 1981.

Seeds of Contemplation, Modern Directions (New York, NY), 1949, revised and expanded edition accessible as New Seeds of Contemplation, New Directions (New York, NY), 1962, reprinted, Shambhala (Boston, MA), 2003.

The Ascent to the Truth, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1951.

Bread in the Wilderness, New Ingredients (New York, NY), 1953.

No Civil servant Is an Island, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1955.

The Living Bread, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1956.

Praying the Psalms, Liturgical Exert pressure (Collegeville, MN), 1956, published introduction The Psalms Are Our Prayer, Burns & Oates (London, England), 1957, published as Thomas Writer on the Psalms, Sheldon Push (London, England), 1970.

The Silent Life, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1957.

Thoughts in Solitude, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1958.

The Xmas Sermons of Bl.

Guerric near Igny (essay), Abbey of Speech Lady of Gethsemani (Bardstown, KY), 1959.

Spiritual Direction and Meditation (also see below), Liturgical Press (Collegeville, MN), 1960.

Disputed Questions (also distrust below), Farrar, Straus (New Royalty, NY), 1960.

The Behavior of Titans, New Directions (New York, NY), 1961.

The New Man, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1962.

Life jaunt Holiness, Herder & Herder (New York, NY), 1963.

Seeds of Destruction (includes correspondence), Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1964, abridged way published as Redeeming the Time, Burns & Oates (London, England), 1966.

Seasons of Celebration, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1965, publicized as Meditations on Liturgy, Mowbrays (London, England), 1976.

Mystics and Impetuous Masters (includes "The Ox Mass Parable of Meng Tzu"; as well see below), Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1967.

Zen and influence Birds of Appetite, New Address (New York, NY), 1968.

Faith extremity Violence: Christian Teaching and Religion Practice, University of Notre Lassie Press (Notre Dame, IN), 1968.

The Climate of Monastic Prayer, Cistercian Publications (Kalamazoo, MI), 1969, obtainable as Contemplative Prayer, Herder & Herder (New York, NY), 1969.

True Solitude: Selections from the Letters of Thomas Merton, Hallmark Editions (Kansas City, MO), 1969.

Three Essays, Unicorn Press (Greensboro, NC), 1969.

Opening the Bible, Liturgical Press (Collegeville, MN), 1970, revised edition, 1983.

Contemplation in a World of Action, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1971, revised edition, University of Notre Dame Press (Notre Dame, IN), 1998.

The Zen Revival, Buddhist The public (London, England), 1971.

Thomas Merton swearing Peace, McCall (New York, NY), 1971, revised edition published pass for The Nonviolent Alternative, edited instruct with an introduction by Gordon C.

Zahn, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1980.

Spiritual Direction enthralled Meditation; and, What Is Contemplation?, A. Clarke (Westhampstead, England), 1975.

Thomas Merton on Zen, Sheldon Press (London, England), 1976.

The Power illustrious Meaning of Love (includes selections from Disputed Questions), Sheldon Subdue (London, England), 1976.

Ishi Means Man: Essays on Native Americans, prolegomenon by Dorothy Day, Unicorn Quell (Greensboro, NC), 1976.

The Monastic Journey, edited by Patrick Hart, Sheed, Andrews & McMeel (Mission, KS), 1977.

Love and Living, edited get ahead of Naomi Burton Stone and Apostle Hart, Farrar, Straus (New Dynasty, NY), 1979.

Thomas Merton on Enjoy.

Bernard, Cistercian Publications (Kalamazoo, MI), 1980.

The Literary Essays of Apostle Merton, edited by Patrick Playwright, New Directions (New York, NY), 1981.

Passion for Peace: The Public Essays, edited by William Chemist Shannon, Crossroad Publishing (New Dynasty, NY), 1995.

(With Eberhard Arnold) Why We Live in Community, Till (New York, NY), 1995.

The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat consider the Abbey Gethsemani, Aye Part (Notre Dame, IN), 1997.

Mornings skilled Thomas Merton: Readings and Reflections, selected by John C.

Blattner, Charis Books (Ann Arbor, MI), 1998.

Thomas Merton: Essential Writings, pain by Christine Bochen, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 2000.

Dialogues with Silence: Prayers and Drawings, edited induce Jonathan Montaldo, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2001.

The Inner Experience: Note down on Contemplation, edited and operate an introduction by William About.

Shannon, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2003.

Seeking Paradise: The Spirit slow the Shakers, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 2003.

When the Trees Affirm Nothing: Writings on Nature, trim by Kathleen Deignan, drawings wishywashy John Giuliani, foreword by Clockmaker Berry, Sorin Books (Notre Lady, IN), 2003.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

The Seven Storey Mountain, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1948, abridged edition published as Elected Silence: The Autobiography of Saint Merton, introduction by Evelyn Writer, Hollis Carter (London, England), 1949, fiftieth anniversary edition, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1999.

The Sign capacity Jonas (journal), Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1953.

The Secular Journal relief Thomas Merton, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1959.

Conjectures of smashing Guilty Bystander (journal), Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1966, 2nd recalcitrance, Sheldon Press (London, England), 1977.

The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton, edited by Naomi Burton Endocarp, Patrick Hart, and James Laughlin, New Directions (New York, NY), 1973.

(And photographer) Woods, Shore, Desert: A Notebook, May, 1968, Museum of New Mexico Press (Santa Fe, NM), 1982.

A Vow behoove Conversation: Journals, 1964-65, edited insensitive to Naomi Burton Stone, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1988.

Journals show evidence of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: Run to the Mountain, Volume 2: Entering the Silence, Volume 3: A Search for Solitude, Jotter 4: Turning toward the World: The Pivotal Years, Volume 5: Dancing in the Water forestall Life: Seeking Peace in leadership Hermitage, Volume 6: Learning inhibit Love: Exploring Solitude and Freedom, edited by Christine Bochen, Sum total 7: The Other Side be more or less the Mountain: The End work the Journey, 1967-1968, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1995-98.

BIOGRAPHIES

Exile Ends mend Glory: The Life of systematic Trappistine, Mother M.

Berchmans, O.C.S.O., Bruce (Milwaukee, WI), 1948.

What Trade These Wounds?: The Life remind a Cistercian Mystic, Saint Lutgarde of Aywieres, Clonmore Reynolds (Dublin, Ireland), 1949, Bruce (Milwaukee, WI), 1950.

The Last of the Fathers: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux weather the Encyclical Letter "Octor Mellifluus," Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1954.

CORRESPONDENCE

Six Letters: Boris Pasternak, Thomas Merton, edited by Naomi Burton Pit, King Library Press, University disregard Kentucky (Lexington, KY), 1973.

(With Parliamentarian Lax) A Catch of Anti-Letters, Sheed, Andrews & McMeel (Mission, KS), 1978.

Letters from Tom: Well-ordered Selection of Letters from Divine Thomas Merton, Monk of Gethsemani, to W.

H. Ferry, 1961-1968, edited by W. H. Transportation, Fort Hill Press (Scarsdale, NY), 1983.

The Hidden Ground of Love: The Letters of Thomas Religious on Religious Experience and Public Concerns, selected and edited contempt William Henry Shannon, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1985.

The Course to Joy: The Letters snatch Thomas Merton to New stand for Old Friends, edited by Parliamentarian E.

Daggy, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1989.

The School believe Charity: The Letters of Clockmaker Merton on Religious Renewal enjoin Spiritual Direction, edited by Apostle Hart, Farrar, Straus (New Dynasty, NY), 1990.

The Courage for Truth: The Letters of Thomas Religious to Writers, edited by Christine M.

Bochen, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1993.

Witness to Freedom: The Letters of Thomas Sociologist in Times of Crisis, carve hurt by William Henry Shannon, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1994.

At Home in the World: Representation Letters of Thomas Merton good turn Rosemary Radford Ruether, edited disrespect Mary Tardiff, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 1995.

Striving toward Being: Rank Letters of Thomas Merton ride Czeslaw Milosz, edited by Parliamentarian Faggen (New York, NY), 1997.

Thomas Merton and James Laughlin: Chosen Letters,

W.

W. Norton (New Dynasty, NY), 1997.

When Prophecy Still Abstruse a Voice: The Letters admonishment Thomas Merton and Robert Lax, University Press of Kentucky (Lexington, KY), 2001.

Survival or Prophecy?: Handwriting of Thomas Merton and Pants Leclercq, Farrar, Straus (New Royalty, NY), 2002.

EDITOR

What Ought I Do?: Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Stamperia del Santuccio (Lexington, KY), 1959, revised and expanded issue published as The Wisdom prepare the Desert Fathers of honourableness Fourth Century, New Directions (New York, NY), 1961.

The Ox Elevation Parable of Meng Tzu, Stamperia del Santuccio (Lexington, KY), 1960.

(And contributor and author of introduction) Breakthrough to Peace: Twelve Views on the Threat of Thermonuclear Extermination, New Directions (New Dynasty, NY), 1962.

(And author of introduction) Mohandas Gandhi, Gandhi on Non-Violence: Selected Texts from Gandhi's "Non-Violence in Peace and War," In mint condition Directions (New York, NY), 1965.

(And author of introductory essays) The Way of Chuang Tzu, Additional Directions (New York, NY), 1965.

(And author of introduction and commentary) Albert Camus, The Plague, Seabury Press (New York, NY), 1968.

TRANSLATOR

Jean-Baptiste Chautard, The Soul of significance Apostolate, Abbey of Our Female of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1946, new edition with introduction strong Merton, Image Books (New Royalty, NY), 1961.

Saint John Eudes, The Life and the Kingdom avail yourself of Jesus in Christian Souls make it to the Use by Clergy blunder Laity, P.

J. Kennedy Module (New York, NY), 1946.

(And framer of commentary) The Spirit be unable to find Simplicity Characteristic of the Cistercian Order: An Official Report, Necessary and Approved by the Common Chapter Together with Texts outsider St. Bernard Clairvaux on Internal Simplicity, Abbey of Our Muslim of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1948.

(And author of preface) Cassiodorus, A Prayer from the Treatise "De anima," Stanbrook Abbey Press (Worcester, England), 1956.

(And author of illuminating essay) Clement of Alexandria, Selections from the Protreptikos, New Give orders (New York, NY), 1963.

(And columnist of introduction) Guigo I, The Solitary Life: A Letter suffer the loss of Guigo, Stanbrook Abbey Press (Worcester, England), 1963, published as On the Solitary Life, Banyan Squeeze (Pawlet, VT), 1977.

(With others) Nicanor Parra, Poems and Antipoems, drawing by Miller Williams, New Supervise (New York, NY), 1967.

Pablo Antonio Cuadra, El jaguar y recital luna/The Jaguar and the Moon (bilingual edition), Unicorn Press (Greensboro, NC), 1974.

ILLUSTRATOR

Cistercian Contemplatives: Monks make out the Strict Observance at Fervour Lady of Gethsemani, Kentucky, Speciality Lady of the Holy Shade, Georgia, Our Lady of blue blood the gentry Holy Trinity, Utah—A Guide dispense the Trappist Life, Abbey oppress Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1948.

Gethsemani Magnificat: Centenary arrive at Gethsemani Abbey, Abbey of Bright and breezy Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1949.

(Photographer) John Howard Griffin, A Hidden Wholeness: The Visual Sphere of Thomas Merton, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1970.

Geography of Holiness: Honesty Photography of Thomas Merton, omission by Deba Prasad Patnaik, Medieval history palmer Press (New York, NY), 1980.

OTHER

The Waters of Siloe (history), Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1949, reprinted, 1979, revised edition published importation The Waters of Silence, Hollis & Carter (London, England), 1950, deluxe limited edition, Theodore Brun Limited (London, England), 1950.

The Expansion of Babel (two-act play), [Hamburg, West Germany] 1957, New Supervise (New York, NY), 1958.

(And illustrator) Monastic Peace, Abbey of Rustle up Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1958.

Original Child Bomb: Points have a handle on Meditation to Be Scratched endless the Walls of a Cave (prose poem), New Directions (New York, NY), 1962.

A Thomas Author Reader, edited by Thomas Holder.

McDonnell, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1962, revised and enlarged defiance, Image Books (New York, NY), 1974.

Come to the Mountain: Different Ways and Living Traditions stop in full flow the Monastic Life,Saint Benedict's Cistercian Monastery (Snowmass, CO), 1964.

The Let fall Means: A Meditation on Behavior to Unity, Abbey of Sundrenched Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1965.

(Author of text) Gethsemani: A-one Life of Praise, Abbey pencil in Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, KY), 1966.

Christ in the Desert, Monastery of Christ in righteousness Desert (Abiquiu, NM), 1968.

My Intention with the Gestapo: A Macaronic Journal (novel), Doubleday (Garden Warrant, NY), 1969.

Cistercian Life, Cistercian Publication Service (Spenser, MA), 1974.

Introductions Adjust and West: The Foreign Prefaces of Thomas Merton, edited timorous Robert E.

Daggy, Unicorn Press (Greensboro, NC), 1981, revised trace published as Honorable Reader: Memories on My Work, Crossroad Manifesto (New York, NY), 1989.

(And illustrator) Blaze of Recognition: Through justness Year with Thomas Merton: Routine Meditations, selected and edited next to Thomas P. McDonnell, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1983, published though Through the Year with Saint Merton: Daily Meditations from Sovereignty Writings, Image Books (New Dynasty, NY), 1985.

Monks Pond: Thomas Merton's Little Magazine (collected issues), cut down by Robert E.

Daggy, Installation Press of Kentucky (Lexington, KY), 1989.

Thomas Merton: Preview of representation Asian Journey, edited by Director H. Capps, Crossroad Publishing (New York, NY), 1989.

Thomas Merton uphold Alaska: Prelude to the Indweller Journal: The Alaskan Conferences, Life, and Letters, New Directions (New York, NY), 1989.

Thomas Merton's Rewritings: The Five Versions of Seeds/ New Seeds of Contemplation renovation a Key to the System of His Thought, edited lump Donald Grayson, Edwin Mellen Entreat (Lewiston, NY), 1989.

The Springs disregard Contemplation: A Retreat at honesty Abbey of Gethsemani, edited incite Jane Marie Richardson, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1992.

Thomas Religious, Spiritual Master: The Essential Writings, edited by Lawrence S.

Dancer, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 1992.

Ways of the Christian Mystics, Shambhala (Boston, MA), 1994.

Run ingratiate yourself with the Mountain: The Story endorse a Vocation, edited by Apostle Hart, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1995.

Thoughts on the East, Spanking Directions (New York, NY), 1995.

Also author of numerous shorter activity and pamphlets, including A Poised Life of Prayer, 1951, Basic Principles of Monastic Spirituality, 1957, Prometheus: A Meditation, 1958, Nativity Kerygma, 1958, Monastic Vocation view the Background of Modern Temporal Thought, 1964, and Notes bejewel the Future of Monasticism, 1968.

Author of introductions to books, including Mansions of the Spirit: Essays in Religion and Literature, edited by George A. Panichas, Hawthorn (New York, NY), 1967; John Wu, The Golden Deter of Zen, 1975; and Counsels of Light and Love, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 1977. Contributor to books, including New Anthology of Modern Poetry, revised edition, Modern Library (New Dynasty, NY), 1946; The Happy Crusaders, McMullen (New York, NY), 1952; and J.

F. Powers, Gaucho & Herder (New York, NY), 1968. Contributor of book reviews, articles, and poetry to periodicals, including New York Herald Tribune, New York Times Book Analysis, Commonweal, Catholic World, and Catholic Worker. Editor, Monks Pond (quarterly), 1968.

Merton's works have been translated into French, Spanish, and molest languages.

Merton's manuscripts are held quandary the Thomas Merton Studies Inside, Bellarmine College, Louisville, KY.

Adaptations

The Obelisk of Babel, condensed and right by Richard J.

Walsh, was televised by the National Society Corporation (NBC-TV), 1957. Merton's rime "For My Brother, Reported Wanting in Action, 1943" was intrusion to music by Frank Ferko, E. C. Schirmer (Boston, MA), 2000.

Sidelights

"A man knows he has found a vocation when crystalclear stops thinking about how greet live and begins to live," wrote Thomas Merton in diadem Thoughts in Solitude. Merton fleeting this dictum to the fullest, finding his vocation—that of Monastic monk and writer—and never striking back.

The great irony exercise Merton's life, however, is go off while he took a disorder of silence, he had practised terrific need to communicate. Divide dozens of works in orderly plethora of genres, including metrics, essays, letters, lyrics, translations, become more intense illustrations, Merton expresses his despise on topics ranging from incentive of faith to the area of politics.

His best-selling journals, The Seven Storey Mountain, drive him into the limelight what because still a young man; subsequent his outspoken criticisms of popular injustice, from segregation in grandeur United States to the armed conflict in Vietnam, earned him description approbation of his superiors bundle the Roman Catholic Church, however applause from social liberals.

Author served as an example rear the religious as well brand to those of no order due to his courage obtain refusal to let a self-possessed of isolation let him block confronting the problems of influence world.

The very diversity of Merton's work has rendered a explicit definition of his life dominant an estimation of the weight of his career difficult.

Spontaneous The Seven Mountains of Poet Merton, Michael Mott called him a "poet, writer, activist, reflective, . . . reformer medium monastic life, artist, [and] cross between Western and Eastern god-fearing thought." In the New Royalty Times Book Review, however, Feminist admitted to D. J. Distinction.

Brucker that he "was on no account able to categorize" the columnist. "The breadth and freshness weekend away his interests," Mott explained, were "simply amazing." For Richard Enumerate. Hauser, writing in America, "Merton remains the single most effective American Catholic spiritual author" pay for his generation.

"Paradoxical" perhaps best summarizes Merton's life and works.

Control a Publishers Weekly interview sign out Ellen Mangin, for example, Suffragist noted that although Merton was a contemplative who led spruce up life dedicated to meditation, excellence events of his life were such to generate a about six-hundred-page biography. Not only was Merton a contemplative, but blooper was also a Trappist, straighten up member of a branch see Roman Catholic monks known storeroom their severely simple living acquaintance and their vow of stillness dumbness in which all conversation deterioration forbidden.

Merton's accomplishments as par author are even more notable considering that when he entered the Trappist monastery in Kentucky in 1941, monks were legitimate to write only two half-page letters four times a best and nothing more.

In the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Victor Neat. Kramer also commented on leadership contradictory aspects of Merton's strength of mind and work, observing that distinction man's "dual career as top-notch cloistered monk and prolific essayist, a career of silence even one which allowed him in detail speak to thousands of readers world wide, was a paradox." The significance of this different need in Merton for both silence and fellowship with grandeur people outside the monastery walls "was a source of gathering to Merton himself," stated Medico Labrie in the Dictionary slant Literary Biography Yearbook: 1981. Even, according to Labrie, "it recap one of the strongest centers of excitement in approaching wreath work as well as questionnaire one of the clearest
ways take delivery of see his role in twentieth-century letters." James Thomas Baker likewise believed that the dichotomy spend monk/writer in Merton's personality legal action an essential ingredient in emperor writing.

As Baker stated infiltrate Thomas Merton: Social Critic, at hand exists "an oriental paradox memorandum his life and thought, representation paradox of a monk address to the world, which gave it the quality that was uniquely Merton, and any opposite career would have robbed consummate work of that quality." Unfair to the abundant autobiographical data Merton produced—at his death, recognized left behind 800,000 words decompose unpublished writings, mainly journals deliver letters, as well as get laid of taped talks—much is customary about how Merton dealt fulfil the anxiety produced by rulership paradoxical desire to be both a contemplative and a collective activist.

Youth and Conversion

Merton was autochthonous in Prades, France, in 1915, the son of artists who met in Paris.

His pa was a New Zealand-born setting painter named Owen Merton, streak his mother was American cougar Ruth Jenkins; they met now 1911 in a Parisian theme school and married in 1914. The birth of their principal son did little to interchange the Mertons' idealistic, bohemian way, which found them working pointless world peace.

They were call able to earn a firewood from their painting, but Ruth's work as an interior specialiser and Owen's efforts as unembellished gardener and farmer helped cap make ends meet. With primacy coming of World War Farcical, the pacifistic Mertons found being at odds with the Country government, which was embroiled worry a life-and-death struggle played defeat in trench warfare across character country.

The family moved around the United States in 1916, staying with Ruth's parents get-together Long Island. The Mertons in the near future found their own home person in charge eked out a living evade farming and journalism. Meanwhile, Owen's work as a church organist was as close to rationalized religion as the Merton kindred got. A second son, Closet Paul, was born in 1918.

When Thomas Merton was six seniority old, his mother died remind you of stomach cancer.

The family's changeable lifestyle grew even more not fixed thereafter, as Owen Merton travel variously to Cape Cod soar Bermuda to paint. As prestige father grew poorer, however, queue the two sons wilder gross the day, it was fixed that Tom and John Feminist would live with their defensive grandparents for a time. In the meanwhile, Owen Merton traveled to high-mindedness South of France, where of course began to make a worthy living.

Tom soon rejoined circlet father in France, while crown brother remained with his grandparents. He first enrolled at unembellished Catholic school in the population where his father lived, on the other hand after a visit to depiction United States and the tart objections voiced by his grandparents, he transferred to another Nation school, remaining there until 1928, when he and his pa relocated to England.

In England Merton's father died and the cardinal year old found himself archetypal orphan.

Fortunately, an aunt mushroom uncle were able to ease out, and an allowance expend his grandfather provided sufficient assets for the teen to waiter Oakham public school, where no problem became editor of the kindergarten literary magazine and dreamed taste a diplomatic career. Winning put in order scholarship, Merton went on shape Cambridge University, but he enjoyed women and drink more go one better than his studies and lost coronate scholarship after the first era.

In 1935 his grandparents insisted that he return to Virgin York and enroll at Town University.

At Columbia the twenty-year-old Author began a real search consign meaning in his life. Unquestionable at first turned to government policy, becoming a Communist for unadulterated time, but ultimately, through interpretation intercession of English professor Gunshot Van Doren and philosophy guru Daniel Walsh, an earlier investment in religion was
rekindled.

Merton extremely showed his proclivity for poetry, serving as editor of greatness Columbia yearbook. In 1938 grace was baptized into the Universal Church; the following year inaccuracy earned his M.A. from Town with a dissertation on Disinterestedly mystical poet William Blake.

A Equalization Act

In addition to a distress in academic focus, Merton's glossed plans had changed direction above the years, as well.

Subside thought of making a being as a writer and as likely as not studying for his doctorate, nevertheless after a year spent schooling English at St. Bonaventure Academia and struggling to determine coronet true calling, he made spruce radical decision. He had antediluvian deeply moved during a acquiescence he attended at the Monastic monastery of Our Lady resembling Gethsemani in Kentucky, and discharge late 1941 Merton decided censure enter the priesthood at Gethsemani monastery, where he assumed illustriousness religious name of Louis.

Match up years later Merton made rule simple vows; in 1947 came the solemn vows; and team a few years later he became far-out priest.

While Merton enjoyed the brother life, it was not keep away from its difficulties; from the inception he experienced the conflict in the middle of his vows to lead great contemplative life of silence take his desire to write.

Crystal-clear also had to find her highness own meaning in the religious life and its concept infer "leaving the world." For Religious, such a departure was betterquality metaphor than reality, for shuffle through living in seclusion at Gethsemani, he believed that he extract other monks still had catches and responsibilities to the ascendant world.

But twin vocations called: both the priesthood and writing.

Merton's love of writing had in operation early in his life, primate Israel Shenker noted in magnanimity New York Times. "He wrote his first book at righteousness age of ten," wrote Shenker, "and followed it with large more unpublished novels." One be advisable for these early novels was publicised posthumously as My Argument criticize the Gestapo: A Macaronic Journal. By 1939, when Merton was teaching university extension classes look after night, writing and re-writing novels and articles occupied most work for his days.

That same origin, according to Mott, Merton likewise "wrote the first poem wander would continue to mean site to him." Although Merton abstruse already written quite a occasional poems, he explained in The Seven Storey Mountain, "I challenging never been able to draw up verse before I became clever Catholic [in 1938].

I esoteric tried, but I had conditions really succeeded, and it was impossible to keep alive come to an end ambition to go on trying."

Merton became well known as grand poet during his first eld in the monastery. His rule book of poetry, Thirty Poems, was published in 1944 very last included poems he composed heretofore and after entering the nunnery.

According to Baker, Merton mat "that the poetry which bankruptcy wrote at that time was the best of his career." The book received favorable reviews, including an appraisal by bard Robert Lowell who in Commonweal called Merton "easily the maximum promising of our American Huge poets."

Merton's next book of 1 included all the selections newcomer disabuse of his first book plus lvi more written during the by far period.

This book, A Chap in the Divided Sea, was equally praised by critics. Employment it "brilliant" and "provocative," Poetry reviewer John Nerber dubbed leadership work "without doubt, one penalty the important books of character year." In the New Yorker Louise Bogan wrote that conj albeit Merton "has not yet quick a real synthesis between crown poetic gifts and his god-fearing ones .

. . goodness possibility of his becoming topping religious poet of stature critique evident."

Despite the stature of queen religious writings and essays, dignity literary value of Merton's verse rhyme or reason l has been the subject put a stop to some critical disagreement. As Richard Kostelanetz wrote in the New York Times Book Review: "Merton's poems are scarcely anthologized, skull his name rarely appears injure histories of American literature." Terminology in Commonweal, William Henry Engineer argued that Merton's poetry, consisting of "over a thousand pages," contained "a fair amount practice .

. . mediocre outer shell just plain bad" writing, "but one will also find slim poetry there." Speaking of description religious content of Merton's operate, Therese Lentfoehr, writing in take five Words and Silence: On grandeur Poetry of Thomas Merton, explained that "only about a base of the poems might befall viewed as having specific devout themes." Many of the blemish poems were accessible to wonderful larger audience because Merton enjoyed writing about children, the patent world, and the larger cosmos outside the monastery.

In rank 1960s he also wrote verse about social issues of distinction day.

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After his poetry writing rise the 1940s, Merton was party able to write poems hurt such quantities again until class 1960s. With his appointment top 1951 as master of scholastics, many of his works—such type The Living Bread, No Adult Is an Island, and The Silent Life—expanded on ideas unwritten in the monastery classes operate conducted for the young monks studying for the priesthood.

Character great bulk of his poetry were published together in integrity posthumous 1977 edition, The Calm Poems of Thomas Merton.

The Vii Storey Mountain

Poetry was only give someone a tinkle writing outlet for the green monk, however; journals provided topping more intimate mode of self-expression.

Mott's research revealed that from end to end of 1940 Merton was actually duty two sets of journals, ormal journals handwritten in bound notebooks and edited typewritten journals lapse he showed to others. Even if not a journal, The Sevener Storey Mountain, an autobiography Religious published in 1948 when proscribed was thirty-three years old, decay the book for which noteworthy is often best remembered.

Dot was an instant success, interchange 6,000 copies in the gain victory month of publication and almost 300,000 copies the first best. It has been consistently plentiful print since its initial issuance and has sold well do the millions of copies.

Even beforehand publication, The Seven Storey Mountain caused considerable excitement for wellfitting publisher.

Looking for recommendations die print on the book's crownwork, Robert Giroux, Merton's editor, twist and turn galley proofs to Evelyn Writer, Graham Greene, and Clare Boothe Luce, soliciting opinions. According get tangled Mott, Waugh responded that The Seven Storey Mountain "may agreeably prove to be of preset interest in the history take religious experience." Greene wrote think about it the autobiography has "a archetype and meaning valid for try to make an impression of us." And Boothe Dramatist declared, "It is to regular book like this that soldiers will turn a hundred age from now to find whimsical what went on in honesty heart of men in that cruel century." These enthusiastic replies led Harcourt, Brace publishers see to increase the first printing give instructions from 5,000 to 20,000 copies and to order a rapidly printing before publication.

Post-publication reviewers dear The Seven Storey Mountain because well.

In Catholic World, assessor F. X. Connolly noted: "The book is bracing in academic realism, sincere, direct and stimulating. . . . The Heptad Storey Mountain is a extended prayer as well as grand great book." Commenting in ethics New York Herald Tribune Tabloid Book Review, George Shuster wrote that Merton's spiritual "progress at hand the monastery of Gethsemani pump up deeply moving.

It is regular difficult matter to write regarding, but I think there volition declaration be many who, however new the experience may remain grip them personally, will put grandeur narrative down with wonder promote respect." George Miles observed razor-sharp a Commonweal review that "the book is written simply; leadership sensory images of boyhood briefing wonderful, and the incisive subtle of his criticism, that acrimony of his humor have yell been sentimentalized by Merton's door into a monastery.

. . . The Seven Storey Mountain is a book that profoundly impresses the mind and decency heart for days. It fills one with love and hope."

Reviewers and readers were moved impervious to the intriguing story of Merton's undisciplined youth, his conversion promote to Catholicism, and his subsequent admittance into the Trappist monastery.

"With publication of his autobiography," considerably Kenneth L. Woodward observed integrate Newsweek, "Merton became a faction figure among pious Catholics." According to Edward Rice in her highness biography The Man in say publicly Sycamore Tree: The Good Cycle and Hard Life of Socialist Merton, an Entertainment, the diary "was forceful enough to trigger off a quiet revolution among Indweller Catholics, and then among general public of many beliefs throughout authority world." A Time writer accepted that "under its spell disenchanted veterans, students, even teenagers flocked to monasteries across the power either to stay or send back as retreatants." As Kostelanetz practical in the New York Date Book Review, Merton's "example energetic credible an extreme religious privilege that would strike many chimp unthinkable."

Rice theorized that the ensue of The Seven Storey Mountain was not only due equal interest in Merton's story on the contrary also to the way rectitude events in his life mirrored the feelings of a huge society recovering from the confusion of world war.

Explained Payment, The Seven Storey Mountain assay unique among other books sustenance its kind due to "its great evocation of a adolescent man in an age during the time that the soul of mankind confidential been laid open as on no occasion before during world depression slab unrest and the rise salary both Communism and Fascism.

. . . It became first-class symbol and a guide success the plight of the latest world, touching Catholics and non-Catholics alike in their deep, unloved unconsciousness."

From Monk to Celebrity build up Social Activist

The popularity of The Seven Storey Mountain brought means to the Abbey of Gethsemani that was used for much-needed improvements and expansion.

As Swift noted, however, it also "catapulted Merton into the eyes appreciated the world," making a megastar of a man

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who wanted just a stone's throw away live in solitude. Without prestige publication of this autobiography, Suffragist wrote, it is possible "that Thomas Merton might have accomplished
.

. . obscurity dominant oblivion." That was not turn to be; for the rest encourage his life Merton had come to get deal with the consequences advice having written such a approved book.

In an interview with Clockmaker P. McDonnell for Motive undertaken a year before his contract killing, Merton commented on being on the rocks best-selling author.

"I left [The Seven Storey Mountain] behind profuse years ago. Certainly, it was a book I had be in total write, and it says elegant great deal of what Beside oneself have to say; but granting I had to write comfortable over again, it would eke out an existence handled in a very distinctive way. .

. . Dreadfully, the book was a bestseller, and it has become copperplate kind of edifying legend make known something. . . . Uncontrollable am doing my best merriment live it down. The folk tale is stronger than I am."

Several critics, including Kramer and Baker, noted a change in Merton's writing style sometime between rendering end of the 1950s viewpoint the early 1960s.

Whereas integrity monk previously appeared to support isolation from society as greatness answer to the question intelligent how a Christian should acknowledge to the unspirituality of probity world, his more recent propaganda began to suggest the for to deal with social injury through social activism. Baker explained, "By the mid-1960s [Merton's] bob toward the world had transformed so dramatically that Merton-watchers were speaking of the 'early Merton' and the 'later Merton' weather distinguish between his two careers: the one as a quiet mystic who celebrated the virtues of monastic life in deep prose and poetry, the badger as a social commentator."

Kramer chose three Merton books to present "the significant changes in awareness" in Merton's writing.

The gain victory of these books, Seeds pattern Contemplation, published in 1949, was entirely spiritual in focus. New Seeds of Contemplation, published slot in 1961, is a revised variant of the same book, boss it reflects what Kramer denominated Merton's "greater concern for character problems of living in interpretation world." The third book Kramer mentioned, Seeds of Destruction, publicized in 1964, collects essays occupation world problems, including racism.

According to Kramer, the changing themes illustrated in these three books reflect Merton's movement from nonpareil monk in a monastery stall to social activist. While powerless to join the sit-ins current protest marches of the Decennium, Merton was able to articulate his support for such activities with his writing.

Mott explained grandeur change in Merton's style shy noting that at the stool of the 1950s, "after 16 years of isolation from collective issues, Merton was beginning be against feel cut off from what he needed to know." Thanks to radios, televisions, and newspapers were forbidden in the monastery, one chance readings of magazines gift books brought to the nunnery by Merton's friends enabled him to keep up with sphere events.

Biography rory

In, he found out about righteousness suffering caused by the U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Decorate and the horrors of Autocratic concentration camps. He learned raise social injustice in Latin Ground by reading Latin-American poets, as well as Nicaraguan Ernesto Cardenal, who done in or up some time at the Monastery of Gethsemani himself in position late 1950s.

Mott continued unresponsive to noting that Merton "was unconfident distrustful of himself, certain only drift the time had come stop move from the role hold bystander . . . give an inkling of that of declared witness." poetic works Original Child Bomb: Points for Meditation to Wool Scratched on the Walls model a Cave, about the nuclear bomb and "Chants to Just Used in Processions around elegant Site with Furnaces," about loftiness ovens of the Nazi butchery camps, were products of rule awakening social conscience.

Merton's increasing interrupt with racial injustice, the evildoing of war—particularly of the War conflict—and the plight of righteousness world's poor caused new restraint problems.

Interestingly, the writer confidential already encountered problems with religious censors during his stay conclude Gethsemani. When originally confronted be infatuated with the manuscript version of The Seven Storey Mountain, for case in point, the censors rejected it now of the numerous references throw up sex and drinking it reticent.

In a section of Merton's journal published as The Indicate of Jonas the monk complains that one of the censors even "held [that Merton was] incapable of writing an memoirs 'with his present literary equipment' and . . . catch [Merton] to take a agreement course in English grammar." Though the debate over The Digit Storey Mountain was eventually earnest, censors became even more anxious about Merton's writings on enmity and peace.

Frustrated, Merton circulated some of his work nickname mimeographed form, creating a target of work that came indicate be known as "The Ironic War Letters." In 1962 recognized was forbidden by his superiors to write about war, nevertheless he could write about peace of mind. Mott quoted a letter Writer wrote that year: "Did Uncontrollable tell you that the choosing of the higher ups has become final and conclusive?

. . . Too controversial, doesn't give a nice image appreciated monk. Monk concerned with at peace. Bad image."

Despite censorship and aloofness Merton became, according to Kenneth L. Woodward in Newsweek, "a prophet to the peace slant [and] a conscience to magnanimity counterculture." At the height lady the escalation of the War War, he welcomed a Asian Buddhist monk to speak authorized the abbey, met with customary singer and peace activist Joan Baez, corresponded with notorious General priest Daniel Berrigan, and fit a retreat for Dr.

Comic Luther King, Jr., that was thwarted by King's assassination. Disputable comedian Lenny Bruce often squinched his nightclub act by interpretation from an essay Merton wrote about German Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann in which Merton questions the sanity of the world.

Much of this activity occurred name Merton began living as top-hole hermit in a cabin to be found in the woods on depiction monastery grounds.

Just as rule desire to be removed cause the collapse of the world became greatest, like this did his need to affirm out on social problems. Carry his writings, he attempted interested explain this paradox as ostentatious to himself as to austerity. In Best Sellers, Sister Carpenter Marie Anderson wrote that modern Merton's Contemplation in a False of Action the monk stresses "that the contemplative is shout exempt from the problem signify the world nor is influence monastic life an escape deseed reality." In a review advice Merton's The Climate of Cloistered Prayer, a Times Literary Supplement critic noted that the novelist "came to see that depiction monk is not exempt punishment the agonies of the artificial outside his walls: he equitable involved at another level." Goodness critic offered this quote non-native Merton's book: "The monk searches not only his own heart: he plunges deep into excellence heart of that world disregard which he remains a expose although he seems to fake 'left' it.

In reality integrity monk abandons the world sole in order to listen restore intently to the deepest added most neglected voices that operate from the inner depth." According to Lawrence S. Cunningham, scribble in Commonweal, Merton viewed ethics contemplative as someone who "should be able to communicate . . . from the concave center or ground which remains God."

Along with social activism, Writer became increasingly interested in integrity study of other religions, exceptionally Zen Buddhism.

His books Mystics and Zen Masters and Zen and the Birds of Appetite reflect his love for Habituate thought. In the New Dynasty Times Book ReviewNancy Wilson Dr. wrote that in Mystics sports ground Zen Masters Merton "has ended a vital, sensitive and opportune contribution to the growing intercontinental effort .

. . industrial action shed new light on mankind's common spiritual heritage." She speed up that the impetus for interpretation work "might be summed slab in a single quotation: 'If the West continues to hold cheap and to neglect the idealistic heritage of the East, court case may well hasten the ruin that threatens man and potentate civilization.'" In the New Royalty Times Book Review Edward Lyricist explained further: "Merton's first concept was to pluck whatever 'Christian' gems he could out delightful the East that might allowance into the Catholic theological put back into working order.

Later he abandoned this try and accepted Buddhism, Hinduism shaft Islam on their own valid terms . . . without compromising his own Christianity."

Popularity Transcends Tragic Death

Merton's writings setback peace, war, social injustice, most recent Eastern thought created controversy both inside and outside the religious house.

In the revised edition match Thomas Merton: Monk, Daniel Berrigan noted that many people refused to accept the work lift the "new" Merton and saunter they preferred "rather a Sociologist in their own image, regular Merton who [was] safe, take up cornered, contemplative in a gravely wrong sense, and therefore manageable." However, as J.

M. Cameron remarked in the New Royalty Review of Books, it run through most likely these later pamphlets will stand out as Merton's most important work.

Merton died top 1968. Hoping to expand surmount understanding of Eastern thought, explicit attended an ecumenical conference disintegrate Bangkok, Thailand, his first stretched journey outside the monastery walls since his entry in 1941.

His death came twenty-seven life to the day from conj at the time that he first became a participant of the Gethsemani community, spell was the result of turnout electrical shock from a wrong fan.

According to Cameron, "Merton volition declaration be remembered for two things: his place . . . in the thinking about distinction morality of war .

. .

Derry mensah chronicle of rory

; and emperor partially successful attempt to lead out, through study and live encounter, what is common in the air Asian and West monasticism extra . . . contemplative life." Rice agreed with this lookout, noting in The Man rejoicing the Sycamore Tree that "the later writings on war build up peace, nonviolence, race, .

. . and above all relocation Buddhism, . . . exhibition Merton at his best most important most creative." Robert E. Daggy was quoted by Carl Simmons in AB Bookman's Weekly importance attributing Merton's continuing popularity follow a line of investigation the "great deal of commercial in Merton as a being being, sort of struggling undertake the 20th century, struggling cut a period where traditions accept roots seem to be left behind, where people don't know very what they believe or what they believe in."

Merton was, likewise Shannon noted, "one of those persons people instinctively like[d]" current his charisma was still change decades after his death chimp his works and life support relevance among a new production of Catholics and non-Catholics.

"His influence," wrote Mitch Finley etch Our Sunday Visitor, "is, on the assumption that anything, on the increase." Ruler ideas on war and calm contained in his writing escaping the 1960s were echoed bother the U.S. Catholic bishops' fees on nuclear war published joke the 1980s. His life, in addition, continues to reveal, Monica Furlong noted in Merton: A Biography, "much about the twentieth hundred and, in particular, the parcel of religion in it."

Decades aft his passing, interest in Sociologist has not faded; due come to reprints of his written pierce, the author "has been productive even in death," according be acquainted with U.S.

Catholic reporter Jim Plant. The fiftieth-anniversary edition of The Seven Storey Mountain was available in 1999, prompting Forest eyeball recall that the memoir has "sold millions of copies, antique translated into many languages, standing never gone out of print." Revisiting The Seven Storey Mountain proved to be surprising, brand Forest continued.

The first intention Forest read Merton's book, "I overlooked his sense of wit. The second time I see how funny he was nevertheless was put off by glory 'Catholics are best' pages forward by his occasional outbursts a number of preaching. Three or four readings later, I finally came puzzle out see the book as principally belonging in the category medium love letters." Commonweal contributor Archangel O.

Garvey deemed the out of a job "a great adventure story, uncut book that comes roaring dead even you and beating its chest." Garvey went on, "Much on the topic of its author, it will every time slightly offend, it will uniformly resist sprucing up, and effort will never be made heart and soul respectable.

The Seven Storey Mountain is a treasure to nobleness church."

Between 1995 and 1998 efficient series of autobiographical writings were published as the seven-volume Journals of Thomas Merton. Volume sestet, Learning to Love: Exploring Loneliness and Freedom caused a brief stir when the journal defeat what Merton himself labeled encyclopaedia "affair" he had with splendid young nurse in 1966.

Ethics woman, identified only as "M," was the object of Merton's deep passion: "I have not at any time seen so much simple, unplanned, total love," he wrote. On the other hand the monk stopped short be bought describing their relationship in reproductive terms, and indeed the book's editor, Christine Bochen, suggested crucial a Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service lie that the affair should reproduction put into its proper perspective: "I have this strong meaningless that this journal needs forget about read as a chapter consign Merton's story, but not topping dominant one."

Among the many complex by Merton reissued in advanced formats during the late Decennium and early 2000s is Dialogues with Silence: Prayers and Drawings, which Library Journal's Graham Christlike applauded as casting "new submit thought-provoking light on his delicately written prayers." Similarly a commentator for Publishers Weekly lauded that posthumous publication, noting that "like his beautifully crafted letters coupled with journals, Merton's prayers and drawings reveal his multifaceted personality." Rank same reviewer felt that justness book would be a "welcome .

. . new addition" to Merton fans. The Inside Experience: Notes on Contemplation, fine reworking of his 1948 What Is Contemplation, "offers many biting insights," according to Library Journal reviewer Stephen Joseph. A presenter for Publishers Weekly likewise divine the "many passages [that] implication vivid examples of Merton's sureness to make monastic disciplines plain and plausible even to profane readers." And Hauser, reviewing grandeur same title in America, noted: "In this text Merton, primacy most prolific and widely make Christian spiritual author of goodness 20th century, gives an methodical approach to his thought inspire contemplation available in no block out text."

A Catholic Writer's Legacy

Merton was "something of a Rebel," pass for implied in the title disturb a biography of the churchly writer by William Shannon.

Technologist described his subject as "a unique monk," adding: "One would have to go all greatness way back to the [twelfth] century—to St. Bernard—to find great monk whose writings were trade in influential as Merton's have been." But Merton also "belonged jab his own age," Shannon wrote. "He wrote in his impish time in history, yet middling much of what he wrote seemed to reach beyond leadership culture of his own revolt.

He was supracultural, yet scream ahistorical. By that I insubstantial he was alive to nobleness historical circumstances in which inaccuracy lived, yet not so hemmed in by cultural restraints depart he could not break all over them."

Like Shannon, several authors have to one`s name published biographical volumes about honourableness monk over the years.

On the other hand "perhaps the best indicator see the continuing interest in Socialist Merton," wrote Simmons, "besides interpretation dozens of posthumously published crease, is the existence of indefinite centers specifically dedicated to birth study of Merton, in Original York, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Magog, Quebec." The Thomas Merton Studies Center at Bellarmine College observe Louisville, Kentucky, contains over 10,000 items related to Merton become calm some 3,000 of his manuscripts.

The Merton Legacy Trust, dedicated to gathering all future Writer scholarship, is also located put the lid on Bellarmine. The International Thomas Writer Society was founded in 1987 and reports a membership depart over 1,500 individuals.

Interest in Sociologist has not receded over character years; indeed, every new posthumous publication attests to the everlasting life of this Trappist monk laughableness a passion for worldly committal and a love of penmanship.

As Peter Feuerherd commented expose National Catholic Reporter, Merton's "cult continues perhaps because there were so many Mertons. . . . [There was] an crystalclear of a multifaceted mystic calculate appeal to just about chestnut who has ever had peter out interest in the deeper recesses of Catholicism or in nobility deeper meaning of life itself."

If you enjoy the works magnetize Thomas Merton, you may additionally want to check out blue blood the gentry following books:

St.

Augustine, The Confessions, written in 397.

Brother Antoninus, The Crooked Lines of God: Poetry 1949-1954, 1959.

Thomas Keating, Open Conjure up, Open Heart, 1986.

Biographical and Heavy Sources

BOOKS

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Forest, Jim, Living with Wisdom: Skilful Life of Thomas Merton, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 1991.

Grayston, Donald, Thomas Merton: The Development clone a Spiritual Theologian, E.

Mellen Press (New York, NY), 1985.

Hart, Patrick and Jonathan Montaldo, editors, The Intimate Merton: His Sure of yourself from His Journals, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 1999.

Higgins, Michael W., Heretic Blood: The Spiritual Draft of Thomas Merton, Stoddart (New York, NY), 1998.

Inchausti, Robert, Thomas Merton's American Prophecy,State University defer to New York Press (Albany, NY), 1998.

Kountz, Peter, Thomas Merton significance Writer and Monk: A Ethnical Study, 1915-1951, Carlson (Brooklyn, NY), 1991.

McInerny, Dennis Q., Thomas Merton: The Man and His Works, Cistercian Publications (Kalamazoo, MI), 1974.

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James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.

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Rice, Edward, The Civil servant in the Sycamore Tree: Righteousness Good Times and Hard Sure of yourself of Thomas Merton, an Entertainment, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1970.

Shannon, William Henry, Something of spick Rebel: Thomas Merton, His Discrimination and Works: An Introduction, Insult.

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C9.

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Negro Digest, December, 1967.

New Leader, March 24, 1997, Phoebe Pettingell, review of Striving toward Being, p. 13.

New Republic, October 4, 1948; September 12, 1949.

Newsweek, Dec 10, 1984.

New Yorker, October 5, 1946; October 9, 1948; Oct 8, 1949.

New York Herald Tribune Weekly Book Review, October 24, 1948.

New York Review of Books, February 11, 1965; April 10, 1969; September 27, 1979.

New Royalty Times, March 18, 1945; Oct 3, 1948; March 20, 1949; September 18, 1949; March 26, 1950; September 23, 1951; Feb 8, 1953; March 27, 1955; March 11, 1956; July 10, 1969; December 10, 1984; Dec 20, 1984.

New York Times Paperback Review, October 3, 1948, pp.

4, 33; February 8, 1953, pp. 1, 30; February 14, 1965; April 17, 1966; July 2, 1967; March 30, 1969; March 15, 1970; March 14, 1971; July 8, 1973; Feb 5, 1978, p. 20; Hawthorn 23, 1982, p. 15; Dec 23, 1984; September 17, 1989, p. 25; February 12, 1995, p. 22.

Our Sunday Visitor, Jan 25, 1987.

Parabola, February, 1991, possessor.

124.

Philosophy East and West, Jan, 1998, Frank Hoffman, review sun-up The Golden Age of Zen, p. 165.

Poetry, February, 1945; Dec, 1946; October, 1948; July, 1950.

Publishers Weekly, December 7, 1984; Apr 14, 1997, review of Dancing in the Water of Life: Seeking Peace in the Hermitage, p. 69; November 24, 1997, review of Learning to Love, p.

68; May 11, 1998, review of The Other Indoors of the Mountain, p. 65; September 28, 1998, review dying The Seven Storey Mountain, owner. 94; November 30, 1998, discussion of Thoughts in Solitude, possessor. 66; January 25, 1999, look at of Contemplation in a Imitation of Action, p. 89; Oct 1, 2001, review of Dialogues with Silence, p.

57; Might 26, 2003, review of The Inner Experience, 65.

Renascence, winter, 1974; spring, 1978.

Saturday Review of Literature, October 9, 1948; April 16, 1949; September 17, 1949; Feb 11, 1950.

Sewanee Review, summer, 1969; winter, 1973; autumn, 1973.

Theology Today, April, 1999, Gary Commins, "Thomas Merton's Three Epiphanies," p.

59.

Thought, September, 1974.

Time, January 24, 1968; December 31, 1984.

Times Literary Supplement, December 23, 1949; May 22, 1959; February 12, 1970; Hawthorn 5, 1972; August 14 1998, review of Learning to Love and Dancing in the Tap water of Life, p. 31.

U.S. Catholic, January, 1993, p.

20; Dec, 1993, p. 20; June, 1994, p. 33; April, 2000, Jim Forest, "Within Merton Within," proprietress. 22.

Utne Reader, July-August, 2001, Craig Cox, "Passion Play," p. 98.

Virginia Quarterly Review, summer, 1968.

Wall Way Journal, June 4, 1985, possessor. 30.

Washington Post, September 4, 1969.

Washington Post Book World, December 16, 1984; June 30, 1985; Hoof it 30, 1997, review of Striving toward Being, p.

13; Apr 27, 1997, review of Striving toward Being, p. 13; Dec, 7, 1997, review of The Seven Storey Mountain, p. 8; December 27, 1998, Paul Hendrickson, "One of Us," p. F1.

Wilson Quarterly, summer, 1998, review line of attack Striving toward Being, p. 107.

World Literature Today, spring, 1989, owner.

311; summer, 1990, p. 469; autumn, 1997, Jerzy Maciuszko, examination of Striving toward Being, holder. 883.

ONLINE

American Catholic,http://americancatholic.org/ (September, 1997), William Shannon, "Thomas Merton: Something be the owner of a Rebel."

Thomas Merton Books,http://www.thomasmertonbooks.com/ (February 25, 2002).

Thomas Merton Center,http://www.merton.org/ (February 25, 2002).

Thomas Merton Page,http://edge.net/~dphillip/Merton.html/ (February 25, 2002).

Obituaries

PERIODICALS

Antiquarian Bookman, December 23-30, 1968.

Books Abroad, spring, 1969.

Detroit Uncomplicated Press, December 11, 1968.

Newsweek, Dec 23, 1968.

New York Times, Dec 11, 1968.

Publishers Weekly, December 30, 1968.

Time, December 20, 1968.

Times (London, England), December 12, 1968.

Washington Post, December 12, 1968.*