The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Corman, Cid, 1924-2004

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1966-1968, 1973

Volume: 14 item(s); 21 pg(s)

Scope and Content

In this exchange of letters, Cid Corman and Merton discuss each other's work, especially poetry. Corman was very critical, sometimes harshly, of Merton's social essays, stating that their violence in style undermined his message of non-violence. Merton admits to being sometimes overly bombastic to drive home a point, but claims to be doing so in the school of "rowdy types like Blake, or Leon Bloy, or the Elizabethans" (1966/09/06 letter). The file contains original letters from Corman and carbon copies from Merton.

Biography

Cid Corman was a poet who went to Japan in 1951 and founded a literary magazine and press by the name of Origin. Besides writing his own poetry, he translated the works of a number of French and Japanese poets (source: The Courage for Truth, p. 246). Cid Corman writes to Merton from Kyoto, Japan.

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See also letters from Merton to Corman published in The Courage for Truth, pp. 246-251.

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
 1966/05/24 TLSto Mertonyou scarcely have to introduce yourself. I have read your poetry since New Directions began   
 1966/07/08 TL[c]from MertonOrigin iii, 1 came in the other day and I promised in my note to you before that, that I would writeYes  
 1966/07/09 TLSto Mertonthanks, and to the Abbot too, for the check. There are places, even today, where small sums weigh   
 1966/07/12 TLSto Mertonyou answer me--our letters crossing--as to what I sent you. I'll send you #2 within the week,   
 1966/08/27 TLSto Mertonyour RAIDS came today and I've gone thru most of it during the day--on the bus and in the gallery,   
 1966/09/05 TL[c]from MertonI have two good letters of yours from July to reply to and now Origin 2 and the books. I wasYes  
 1966/09/06 TL[c]from MertonI wrote you yesterday and now your letter of the 27th has reached me today. So I see you gotYes  
 1966/09/10 TALSto Mertonyour letter seems to have crossed with mine, so that I've answered some of your questions sooner   
 1966/09/12 TLSto Mertonyou will have had my two letters in answer to your that "crossed". I can tell enough from this just   
 1967/03/10 TL[c]from MertonI have been waiting for the right chance to send you a word or two about the new Origin (4) and nowYes  
 1968/04/21 TL[c]from MertonIt is a long time since I have written: can't keep up with correspondence at all. It is just too   
 1968/05/26 TLSto Mertonafter writing you I felt as if I had possibly sounded more ungracious than I meant to. In any case   
 1973/11/30 TLS[x]from Center to Corman, CidMr. Victor Kramer at Georgia State University has requested permission to look at your   
 1973/12/06 TLSto Center from Corman, Cidof course, I don't know Mr Kramer, but presumably you do and trust his discretion and competence.   
        

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