The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Cargas, Harry James, 1932-

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1961-1968

Volume: 45 item(s); 53 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Besides discussions of Merton writing for an anthology, the two men discuss pacifism and the writings of Thoreau.

Biography

Harry J. Cargas was writing from the Department of English at Saint Louis University in Missouri. He was the former editor of Queen's Work, who published Merton's introduction to the Japanese edition of The Seven Storey Mountain. He was a decorated combat veteran who had become a pacifist and liked Merton's writings on non-violence.

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See two published letters from Merton to Cargas in Witness to Freedom, pp. 170-171.

Other Finding Aids

If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
   

Series List

This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.

Container List

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1961/10/29 TL[x]to MertonFor our forthcoming Lenten issue of The Catholic Book Reporter, I am looking for an article   
 1961/11/06 TLS[x]from Fox, JamesYour kind letter of October 29 addressed to our good Father M. Louis, known to you as Thomas Merton,   
 1963/03/28 TL[x]to MertonHerder and Herder has just sent me a copy of LIFE AND HOLINESS which I have found to be especially   
 1963/04/02 HNS[x]from MertonFrank Dell'Isola published a bibliography (Farrar Straus & C.) which goes up to about 1956.   
 1963/04/21 TL[x]to MertonThank you very much for the copies of your works which you sent me. You were kind to take   
 1963/04/30 TL[x]to MertonThomas Merton has informed me that you are working on a Merton bibliography. I am beginning   
 1963/07/02 TL[x]to MertonSometime ago we corresponded and I told you that I would soon become editor of The Queen's Work,   
 1963/07/26 TL[x]to MertonA short while ago, I wrote to you seeking a contribution to The Queen's Work. I especially   
 1963/09/26 HLS[x]from MertonI have neglected your letter, but I have an excuse - I have been in the hospital and am   
 1963/10/02 TL[x]to MertonYou were kind to send along your new introduction to MOUNTAIN. We can be certain that so many   
 1963/12/05 TL[x]to MertonOur January issue with your "Introduction to the Japanese Edition of Mountain" will be coming off   
 1965/07/13 TLS[x]from MertonEver since I published my first book, there has been an almost unlimited choice of rumors about me,   
 1965/09/21 TLSto MertonI am the former editor of Queen's Work; you may recall you allowed us to print your introduction  invitation to publish articles on John of the Cross for a new book series by Herder and Herder / Cargas will edit a volume on John Howard Griffin
 1965/09/24 TLS[x]from MertonThanks for your letter. It was good to hear from you again. I am interested in the new series   
 1965/09/30 TLSto MertonOne comeback on the projected series of books, and the one I asked of you on St. John of the Cross.  asking if Merton would at least choose the best 15 articles from a larger number that Cargas would send if he will not write one himself / his background of decorated combat veteran turned pacifist
 1965/10/13 (#01)TLS[x]from MertonI have beenpondering [sic] on your letter of Sept. 30th and of course if you are so anxious to haveYes Merton may be interested but does not want to do any more on John of the Cross - suggest many other writers, many non-Catholics - "three best [...] St Anselm, Origen and Solovyov, -- with Flannery O'C. [O'Connell] in case you don't want a non-catlick." / caveat against claiming to be a complete pacifist - Pope Paul's approach
 1965/10/13 (#02)TL[c]from MertonI have beenpondering [sic] on your letter of Sept. 30th and of course if you are so anxious to haveYes Merton may be interested but does not want to do any more on John of the Cross - suggest many other writers, many non-Catholics - "three best [...] St Anselm, Origen and Solovyov, -- with Flannery O'C. [O'Connor] in case you don't want a non-catlick." / caveat against claiming to be a complete pacifist - Pope Paul's approach
 1965/10/18 TL[x]to MertonThomas Merton on William Blake would be wonderfully wild for all concerned. The problem of proving   
 1965/11/10 HNS[x]from MertonWill you please hold up the Xerox ext.? A new problem arose when I went to clear the book with my   
 1965/11/15 TL[x]to MertonI'm awfully distressed to hear about the problems that have arisen. But I shall refrain from   
 1965/11/25 (#01)TLS[x]from MertonI am afraid that I did not manage to save any anthology projects with my boss. I had two of them,   
 1965/11/25 (#02)TL[c]from MertonI am afraid that I did not manage to save any anthology projects with my boss. I had two of them,  Merton explains that he is not allowed to do anthology projects / would have liked to do the Flannery O'Connor project
 1965/12/08 TL[x]to MertonEnclosed are some articles on Flannery O'Connor which may interest you. When you are through   
 1965/12/14 TL[x]to MertonSo you are one of America's fifteen most important Catholics. I think that was a great stroke   
 1965/12/20 TNS[x]from MertonMany thanks for sending these. I want to get them back before it is too late: the big rush will   
 1965/12/25? TLS[x] from Merton to FriendsI hate to resort to mimeographed letters, but it has now become completely impossible for me to answYes [labeled "A Christmas Letter - 1965" - mimeographed letter sent to Merton's friends - see "Circular Letters" file]
 1966/02/10 TALSto MertonI am giving a talk on Thoreau (emphasis on <u>Walden</u>) and would like to briefly discuss  asks Merton for a paragraph or two about the influence that Thoreau had on him
 1966/02/14 (#01)TLS[x]from MertonOK, a word about Thoreau since you ask. The only references to him in my writings are fewYes references to Thoreau by Merton - <i>Conjectures</i>, <i>Sign of Jonas</i>, mentioned "Thoreau and Emily Dickenson made me glad of being an American" in a letter to Mark Van Doren / not a Thoreau expert but living Walden-like existence at hermitage / Thoreau a "bridge builder between East and West"
 1966/02/14 (#02)TL[c]from MertonOK, a word about Thoreau since you ask. The only references to him in my writings are fewYes references to Thoreau by Merton - <i>Conjectures</i>, <i>Sign of Jonas</i>, mentioned "Thoreau and Emily Dickenson made me glad of being an American" in a letter to Mark Van Doren / not a Thoreau expert but living Walden-like existence at hermitage / Thoreau a "bridge builder between East and West"
 1966/02/22 TLSto MertonThank you for your thoughts on Thoreau. Our diocesan paper is carrying your two-article series  non-violence as "nature's developing law"
 1966/03/10 TL[x]to MertonEnclosed are the articles you asked for. I hope you will feel free to ask me to be of help again   
 1966/12/25 TALS[x] from Merton to FriendsSorry, I have just had to give up any hope of answering most of my Christmas mail personally.Yes [labeled "Christmas Morning 1966" - mimeographed letter sent to Merton's friends - see "Circular Letters" file]
 1967/01/03 TLSto MertonI thought you might like to see this brief review I did on your book. It appeared in the ST. LOUIS  review by Cargas of a book by Merton in the <u>St. Louis Globe-Democrat</u>
 1967/01/17 TL[x]to MertonI have been asked by Bruce Publishing House to edit a series on war. The idea is to get people   
 1967/01/18 TALSto MertonI have been asked by Bruce Publishing House to edit a series on war. The idea is to get people  asking Merton to write an article on war and respond to four other points of view / Jean-Robert Leguey Feilleux, vice-president of CAIP [Catholic Association for International Peace?] to present on view, Cargas to present pacifist point of view - looking for someone as an "articulate super hawk" / Merton's note on letter "No- Jan 26."
 1967/01/22 TLS[x]from MertonSeveral wrote that they liked my mimeographed Christmas letter and urged me to go on mimeographing   
 1967/01/26 TNS[x]from MertonSorry, I am so much in a bind now with my other work that I can't possibly take on the essay you ask   
 1967/02/13 TL[x]to MertonSorry you could not be with us on the book but it turns out that the editor Gary MacEoin has now   
 1968/09/no? TLS[x]from MertonAs you know, I have been cutting down more and more on letters and now my contracts will be almostYes [labeled "FALL 1968" - written from New Delhi, India - mimeographed letter sent to Merton's friends - see "Circular Letters" file]
 1968/10/10 TL[x]to MertonGreetings from St. Louis, home of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals (I hope).   
 1968/11/09 TL[x] from Merton to FriendsThis newsletter is not a reply to mail because I have not been getting mail on this Asian tripYes [labeled "Asian Letter 1" - written from New Delhi, India - mimeographed letter sent to Merton's friends - see "Circular Letters" file]
 1970/no/no? TLSfrom Center to Cargas, HarryWe are wring to you regarding your correspondence with the late Thomas Merton.   
 undated/no/no other[x] GLOSE ON THE SIN OF IXION [-] He saw her: that is, he labored. [-] He loved sweet business (Juno  [photocopy of signed typescript - later called "Gloss on the Sin of Ixion" - "glose" may either be a typographical error or a use of the French word for "gloss"]
 undated/no/no HNS from Cargas, Millie / to Pauline PearsonI think you'll find some of this material pretty interesting. Good seeing you Sunday.   
 undated/no/no other[x] This is the poem of Thomas Merton I mentioned when we were together a few weeks ago--the loveliest  [Merton's poem "Night-Flowering Cactus" - typed note and handwritten note by Cargas or someone other than Merton, "If the poem isn't about Mary, I don't want to know it!"]
        

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