Before approaching Merton for submissions to his magazine, Robert Bonazzi had met two of Merton's friends, Mark Van Doren and John Howard Griffin. Griffin gave Bonazzi a poem about Robert Lax that he wanted to publish. The letters primarily concern publication matters. Among what was published were essays, poems, photographs and drawings (referred to as "signatures") by Merton. Also mentioned is the founding of Merton's own "little magazine" Monks Pond.
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.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1966/10/14 |
TALS to Merton |
John Griffin wrote me as soon as he got back from the Abbey with you and Jacques Maritain. He said |
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«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1966/10/19 |
TAPCS to Merton |
Thank you so much for the ok on the poem. I will of course makesome [sic] reference to the personal |
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«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1967/01/18 |
HLS to Merton |
Congratulations on your fantastic poem, "Fall '66", in NY REVIEW (Dec. 15 issue) -- I am going to |
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«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1967/05/13 |
TL[c] from Merton |
I have been meaning to write and thank you for the first issue of Latitudes. I liked it, especially |
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«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1967/05/22 |
TALS to Merton |
First rule of publishing: a Monk should never allow an editor to edit out what might be considered |
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«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1967/09/01 |
TLS to Merton |
We have decided to make #3 and #4 a DOUBLE ISSUE for many reasons: 1) to balance political material |
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«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1967/09/08 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Perfectly ok to use the quote from "Letter to Innocent Bystander". And of course to put off "Monk" |
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«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1967/09/17 |
TALS to Merton |
Have chosen from CABLES what could stand as individual poems. (see carbons from copies of these |
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«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1967/09/28 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Many thanks for your letter and the returned ms. I am chacking [sic] immediately with New |
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«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1967/10/03 (#01) |
TALS[x] from Griffin, John Howard |
Gregory and I are in a dudgeon over these Merton photos. After we mocked up a first cover. |
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[carbon copy sent to Merton - see 1967/10/03[2] for note to Merton typed on the same page]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1967/10/03 (#02) |
TNS from Griffin, John Howard / to Merton |
You will probably have the prints from E&F when you receive this. I enclose a marvelous can |
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[note to Merton typed on the same page as 1967/10/03[1] letter to Robert Bonazzi]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1967/10/03 (#03) |
TALS to Merton |
What a very moving collection of signatures. We are mulling over them now but definitely want to |
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«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1967/10/08? |
TALS to Merton |
Since last writing you we have decided to do a little 20-page quarto to commemorate the 4th |
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[no date - annotated "Oct. 8"]
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1967/10/09 |
TLS to Merton |
Just returned from Griffin's. The photographs are fantastic! We will just flip them with the |
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«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1967/10/10 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Thanks for your letter: glad everything is working out. I am happy that you can use the signature |
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«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1967/10/15 |
TLS to Merton |
Acknowledging your letter which clarified CABLES TO THE [sic] ACE and all news of signatures and |
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«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1967/12/06 |
TLS to Merton |
John is genuinely frantic about your special issue of Latitudes, concerning copyright. Well I wrote |
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«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1967/12/10 |
TL[c] from Merton |
I don't see any problems whatever about the copyrights. It seems to me everything is in apple pie |
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«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1967/12/26 |
TLS to Merton |
Heard the long almighty & beautiful tape at John Griffin's last weekend and he made me a copy, |
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«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1968/01/31 |
TLS to Merton |
Thank you for your note. What is this about starting a magazine of your own? I suppose you mean on |
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«detailed view» |
| 21. |
1968/02/29 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Sorry for not letting you know sooner about the poems, pix etc. I don't want to keep a whole batch |
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«detailed view» |
| 22. |
1968/07/07 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
I'm sorry everyone is bugging you about Latitudes 5. As a matter of fact I hadn't read the Ranieri |
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Latitudes magazine 5 / manuscript of Harry Taylor / Merton discussing the relative appropriateness of his work being featured in Playboy magazine and the American attitude toward sex
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
1997/03/31 (#01) |
TLS to Grip, Robert |
Thanks so much for the kindly support, the generous clarification of expenses in our (much needed |
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plans for Robert Bonazzi and Elizabeth Griffin-Bonazzi to be at the June 1997 general meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) held at Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL / discussion of Fr. August Thompson, also to be a guest speaker at the ITMS conference
«detailed view» |
| 24. |
1997/03/31 (#02) |
other to Grip, Robert |
ELIZABETH GRIFFIN-BONAZZI --Widow of John Howard Griffin, wife of 27 years, mother of their four |
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biographical sketches for Elizabeth Griffin-Bonazzi and Robert Bonazzi and a description of the John Howard Griffin Roundtable with Fr. August Thompson at the June 1997 general meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) held at Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
«detailed view» |
| 25. |
1997/04/30 |
TLS to Grip, Robert |
Thanks so much for your kind letter of 21 April, as well as for the much-needed reimbursement |
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plans for Robert Bonazzi and Elizabeth Griffin-Bonazzi to be at the June 1997 general meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) held at Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL / discussion of Fr. August Thompson, also to be a guest speaker at the ITMS conference
«detailed view» |
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