Evelyn Waugh offered Merton some frank criticism and suggestions for improvement of his writing style for some of his early books.
Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), famous British author and satirist, was a convert to Catholicism in 1930 and served as a mentor to Merton in his early career as a writer.
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. |
1948/07/20 |
transcript from Waugh, Evelyn / to Harcourt Brace |
Thank you for sending me the proofs of THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN which I have read with close |
|
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1948/08/02 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
You will be surprised to get this but not, I hope, annoyed. Father Abbot gave me permission |
✓ |
[incorrectly dated "August 12, 1948" in Merton & Waugh]
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1948/08/13 |
transcript to Merton |
Thank you for your letter of August 2nd. As I wrote to your publishers I greatly admired your book |
✓ |
[see carbon of this letter in the "Giroux, Robert" file]
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1948/09/03 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
I cannot tell you how truly happy I am with your letter and the book you sent. Both of them have |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1948/09/03 (#02) |
transcript to Billings, John Shaw |
Thank you for your letter of Aug: 25th. I had already sent you a note under the false impression |
|
[photocopied transcript from The Letters of Evelyn Waugh - from Waugh to John Shaw Billings with a paragraph referring to Merton and to The Seven Storey Mountain (or Elected Silence as it would be published in England)]
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1948/09/22 |
HLS[x] from Merton |
I am very glad you went ahead with the editing of the Seven Storey Molehill. Since you have |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1949/01/10 |
transcript to Mitford, Nancy |
Your letter of 4th Jan to hand. I notice it was posted at Marlborough, Wilts. The socialist |
|
[photocopied transcript from The Letters of Evelyn Waugh - from Waugh to Nancy Mitford with a paragraph asking Mitford to send to Merton a copy of Ambrose Gardeil's La structure de l'ame et L'expérience Mystique]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1949/02/19 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
As far as I can judge, you must be back in America at the moment, finishing your articles for LIFE. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1949/05/12 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Thank you very much for your last letter, written before you left New York. Since then a volume |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1949/05/27 |
transcript to Merton |
First, my joy for you on your ordination. Your letter came just in time to engage my feeble prayers |
✓ |
Transcript copy from the online version of the Evelyn Waugh Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (1969), ‹http://www.abbotshill.freeserve.co.uk/EWN3-1.htm›, which also appears in Merton & Waugh.
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1949/07/30 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Thank you for your letter of May 27th. I haven't seen any sign of the Ronald Knox book which you |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1949/08/28 |
transcript to Merton |
The Waters of Siloe arrived this morning. A beautifully made book. I am proud to see |
✓ |
Transcript copy from the online version of the Evelyn Waugh Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (1969), ‹http://www.abbotshill.freeserve.co.uk/EWN3-1.htm›, which also appears in Merton & Waugh.
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1949/08/29 |
transcript to Merton |
I have now read The Waters of Siloe and must write to repeat my thanks for the great honour |
✓ |
[photocopied transcript from The Letters of Evelyn Waugh, which also appears in Merton & Waugh]
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1949/08/30 |
transcript to Merton |
…It is extraordinarily generous of you to take my editing of Waters of Siloe in such good |
✓ |
Transcript copy from the online version of the Evelyn Waugh Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (1969), ‹http://www.abbotshill.freeserve.co.uk/EWN3-1.htm›.
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1949/09/17 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Thank you very much for your two letters and your very valuable advice on the two books, |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1949/10/15 |
TALS[x] from Merton |
You will be amused to hear that your article of the American Epoch in the Catholic Church is |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1950/01/28 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
It is some time since I have given an account of myself. Burns sent a copy of Fowler and I am very |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1950/08/12 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Hollis and Carter have just sent me Waters of Silence, with your kind foreword and your |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1950/08/30 |
transcript to Merton |
Of course you have never said anything that remotely "offended" me. How could you think so? |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1950/09/11 |
TALS[x] from Merton |
The Stromboli note-paper literally overwhelmed me. Iam [sic] answering you at once to send my |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 21. |
1950/12/15 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
This letter has two purposes: to thank you for Helena and to wish you a holy Christmas-- |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 22. |
1951/01/no? |
HPCS to Merton |
Thank you vy [sic] much for your letter. Very sorry to hear of your illness. Does your library |
✓ |
[unknown date / possibly a reply to Merton's letter of December 15, 1950 - maybe January 1951 in context of books publication and other letters] Ronald Knox's book, Enthusiasm: a chapter in the history of religion, with special reference to the XVII and XVIII centuries]
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
1951/09/15? |
transcript from Waugh, Evelyn to "AF" |
Very many thanks for THE ASCENT TO TRUTH which reached me today, September 15th. |
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«detailed view» |
| 24. |
1951/12/27? |
transcript to Merton |
I have taken an unconscionable time in thanking you for present of The Ascent to Truth. |
✓ |
Transcript copy from the online version of the Evelyn Waugh Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (1969), ‹http://www.abbotshill.freeserve.co.uk/EWN3-1.htm›, which also appears in Merton & Waugh.
«detailed view» |
| 25. |
1952/02/25 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for your very kind letter and for Enthusiasm. I entirely agree with your comment |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 26. |
1973/11/30 |
TL[c] from Center to Evelyn Waugh Estate |
Mr. Victor Kramer at Georgia State University has requested permission to look at Mr. Evelyn Waugh's |
|
permission to view Waugh's correspondence
«detailed view» |
| 27. |
1991/01/07 |
TLS[x] from Giroux, Robert / to Christine Bochen |
I've just found a copy of a marvelous Evelyn Waugh letter to Thomas Merton, which I enclose. |
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[from Robert Giroux, Merton's friend and publisher from Farrar, Straus & Giroux, to Christine Bochen of Nazareth College in Rochester, New York]
«detailed view» |
| 28. |
undated/no/no (#01) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
+for Evelyn Waugh [-] in Caritate Xti [-] fr. M. Louis Merton O.C.R. |
|
[inscription in Figures of an Apocalypse]
«detailed view» |
| 29. |
undated/no/no (#02) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
As an expression of gratitude and I might even say veneration, for the best writer of English prose |
|
[inscription in The Waters of Siloe]
«detailed view» |
| 30. |
undated/no/no (#03) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
to Evelyn Waugh - in Corde Christi - fr m Louis O.C.R. |
|
[inscription in Seeds of Contemplation]
«detailed view» |
| 31. |
undated/no/no (#04) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
to Evelyn Waugh with my best wishes and prayers in Christo Domino [-] f. m. Louis Merton, O.C.S.O. |
|
[inscription in The Ascent to Truth]
«detailed view» |
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