The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Dana, Doris, 1920-2006

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1966-1968

Volume: 33 item(s); 40 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Biography

Doris Dana writes to Merton from New York and from her travels to France. Dana was the long-time companion of poet, educator, feminist, Nobel laureate and Chilean diplomat, Gabriela Mistral (pen name of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, 1889-1957). Dana translated and edited some of Mistral's poems. Dana seemed to be a mutual friend with Merton of both John Howard Griffin and Jacques Maritain. She visited Merton in early January of 1967, when she introduced Merton to the story of Ishi and sparked some of Merton's interest in Native Americans; and then visited him again in late October of 1967, when they traveled to Lexington together to visit Victor and Carolyn Hammer and John Jacob Niles.

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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
 1966/10/21 telegram from Fox, James / to Jacques MaritainDORA COME ANYTIME AFTER NOV 2ND. PLEASE NOTIFY EXACT TIME OF ARRIVAL IN LOUISVILLE  [message from Dom James Fox, Abbot of Gethsemani, to Jacques Maritain to notify Doris Dana about arrangements to visit Gethsemani Abbey]
 1966/11/no? TL[c]to MertonI am profoundly grateful to you and Abbot James for your telegram which you sent to Jacques Maritain  [no date on letter - sent between October telegram from Fox and Dana's letter to Merton of December 7]
 1966/12/07 TL[c]to MertonPlease forgive me my silence. Since I returned from Princeton I found myself in a calamitous   
 1966/12/14 (#01)TLSfrom MertonForgive my delay. Your letter itself reached me with some delay and as to your previous note   
 1966/12/14 (#02)TL[c]from MertonForgive my delay. Your letter itself reached me with some delay and as to your previous note   
 1967/01/04? TNSfrom Gannon, LeoneYour room is No.2 and it is open for you. Father Louise [sic] said he would see you at 9:30  [from Leone Gannon, who worked in Gethsemani Abbey's guesthouse]
 1967/01/13 (#01)TLSto MertonI cannot find the words to express to you how much my visit with you meant and always will mean   
 1967/01/13 (#02)TL[c]to MertonI cannot find the words to express to you how much my visit with you meant and always will mean   
 1967/01/13 (#03)TL[c]to Montalva, Eduardo FreiFirst of all I want to tell you how glad I am that you are coming to visit the United States,  [from Dana to Eduardo Frei Montalva, President of Chile]
 1967/01/13 (#04)TL[c]to Fox, JamesI want to express my deepest thanks to you once again for having made it possible for me to visit  [from Dana to Dom James Fox, Abbot of Gethsemani Abbey]
 1967/01/20 (#01)TLSfrom MertonThe yeast and vitamins arrived the other day, and last evening Ishi came. I am very grateful   
 1967/01/20 (#02)TL[c]from MertonThe yeast and vitamins arrived the other day, and last evening Ishi came. I am very grateful   
 1967/01/23 (#01)TLSfrom MertonYour letter reached me only after all the other things, and that is why I did not mention it   
 1967/01/23 (#02)TL[c]from MertonYour letter reached me only after all the other things, and that is why I did not mention it   
 1967/01/23 (#03)HNSfrom MertonI forgot to enclose these with my letter this morning. I don't know what to say about my possibly  [sent in large envelope and reference to sending something, but enclosure not extant] responds to possibility of serving as executor for Gabriela Mistral's estate, stating it would likely not be a good idea but open to discussion
 1967/01/31 (#01)TLSfrom MertonFirst of all I want to thank you for the enormous surprise package. The chocolates will be greatly   
 1967/01/31 (#02)TL[c]from MertonFirst of all I want to thank you for the enormous surprise package. The chocolates will be greatly   
 1967/01/no? telegramto MertonARRIVING FIRST FLIGHT OBTAINABLE MORNING JANUARY 4TH 9:54 AM stop DRIVING IMMEDIATELY TO ABBEY   
 1967/03/05 HCSfrom MertonI thought you would like to see this piece on Ishi I wrote for the Catholic Worker.  [card from Merton in a larger gray envelope in which was enclosed his essay, "Ishi Means Man" (not extant)]
 1967/04/18 HPCSto MertonOn my way to Madrid from Paris, I stopped off to see many of the towns you lived in - and am sending  visiting Prades, France / visiting Jacques [Maritain] in Toulouse / going to Madrid
 1967/05/18 (#01)TLSfrom MertonMany thanks for the Lanternari book which just arrived. You must have picked up some of my thought   
 1967/05/18 (#02)TL[c]from MertonMany thanks for the Lanternari book which just arrived. You must have picked up some of my thought   
 1967/10/08 (#01)TLSto MertonI have been feeling very guilty about my long silence and do ask for forgiveness. There are many   
 1967/10/08 (#02)TAL[c]to MertonI have been feeling very guilty about my long silence and do ask for forgiveness. There are many   
 1967/10/11 HLSfrom MertonI was very happy to hear from you and would be even more happy to see you soon.  discussing dates for Dana to visit Gethsemani in late October of 1967 / suggests they go together to Lexington to hear music composed by John Jacob Niles from Merton's poems, which he hears are "rather unusual"
 1967/11/25 (#01)TALSfrom MertonHere is a copy of the study I was vaguely talking about in the car when you were here. I have   
 1967/11/25 (#02)TL[c]from MertonHere is a copy of the study I was vaguely talking about in the car when you were here. I have   
 1967/11/29 (#01)TALSto MertonThank you for sending me the signed books which I much appreciated and thanks also for the magazines   
 1967/11/29 (#02)TL[c]to MertonThank you for sending me the signed books which I much appreciated and thanks also for the magazines   
 1967/12/28 (#01)TLSfrom MertonMany things to thank you for. The Stephens book is beautiful, and I am glad at the good news   
 1967/12/28 (#02)TL[c]from MertonMany things to thank you for. The Stephens book is beautiful, and I am glad at the good news   
 1968/07/no? TLS[x] from Merton to FriendsFor various reasons I was quite busy during May and June, and so for July and part of August I amYes [labeled "MIDSUMMER LETTER 1968" - circular letter sent to his friends]
 1968/12/18 HLSfrom Griffin, John HowardMy window overlooks the mound of red clay where Tom was buried last evening. Typically, he was late  Merton and Dana's mutual friend John Howard Griffin describes the delayed arrival of his body from Bangkok, stating Merton was "Typically, he was late for his own funeral"
        

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