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Individual Series View, Merton's Correspondence with:

Laughlin, James, 1914-1997


Series 2, Laughlin correspondence with others concerning Merton from New Directions "Thomas Merton" subject file.


Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1947-1968
Volume: 1092 item(s); 1420 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This file contains a large exchange of letters between Thomas Merton and James Laughlin. The letters range from publishing matters to personal dialog between friends. There is a gap in the carbon copies of the letters from Merton from early to mid-June

Biography

James Laughlin and Merton first came to known each other through Merton's former professor at Columbia University, poet Mark Van Doren. Van Doren recommended some of Merton's poems to Laughlin for his publishing house, New Directions. These poems became

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.

Related Information and Links

See also published letters of Merton and Laughlin in Thomas Merton and James Laughlin: Selected Le

Series List

Series NumberSeries NameTotal Records
1 Original Merton-Laughlin Correspondence with occasional letters from others copied to Merton. 1021
2 Laughlin correspondence with others concerning Merton from New Directions "Thomas Merton" subject file. 71

Container List

Series#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
Series 2 #1.
«All Series«		 1946/05/20 TLS[x] from Lentfoehr, Thérèse I am writing to ask permission to include in an anthology of poems on the Blessed Virgin Mary «detailed view»
Series 2 #2.
«All Series«		 1946/06/22 TLS[x] from Lentfoehr, Thérèse Thank you very much for your letter of May 31st in which you stated that I might have permission «detailed view»
Series 2 #3.
«All Series«		 1947/06/02 TLS[x] from Fearns, John I am enclosing the official sheet bearing the "nihil obstat" and "imprimatur" for Father Louis [one page of letter and one page censorship form for Figures for an Apocalypse] «detailed view»
Series 2 #4.
«All Series«		 1948/06/01 TLS[x] from Stone, Naomi Burton We drew up contracts, in accordance with your instructions, between yourselves, Tom Murton [sic] proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #5.
«All Series«		 1948/06/16 TLS[x] from Giroux, Robert Thomas Merton in his forthcoming autobiography, THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN, permission to publish "For My Brother: Reported Missing in Action, 1943" «detailed view»
Series 2 #6.
«All Series«		 1948/06/21 TL[x]  from McDowell, David / to Robert Giroux In reply to your letter of June 16, 1948, we are most happy to accord you the permission to quote permission to publish "For My Brother: Reported Missing in Action, 1943" «detailed view»
Series 2 #7.
«All Series«		 1948/08/13 other[x] from Rittenhouse, George We take pleasure in offering our estimate for binding, based on the following specifications: binding fees for A Man in the Divided Sea by American Book - Stratford Press of New York «detailed view»
Series 2 #8.
«All Series«		 1948/08/18 other[x] from Rosebury, Richard W. We are pleased to quote our price for binding your book with specifications as follows, A MAN IN THE binding fees for A Man in the Divided Sea by Chas. H. Bohn and Company of New York «detailed view»
Series 2 #9.
«All Series«		 1948/09/29 TL[x]  from Peers, E. Allison / to Merton Thank you for your letter of July 30, which reached me in Spain at the beginning of September. quotations from "The Dark Night of the Soul" and "The Ascent of Mount Carmel" from St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #10.
«All Series«		 1948/11/03 TLS[x] from Pollinger, Laurence Thomas Merton: After Hollis & Carter and The Falcon Press had seen and declined A MAN T. S. Eliot's interest in Merton's A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse «detailed view»
Series 2 #11.
«All Series«		 1948/11/05 TLS[x] from Kemp, Lysander Miss Burton of Curtis Brown Ltd. has relayed to me your comments on the Lorca. Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #12.
«All Series«		 1948/11/05 TLS[x] to Berrigan, Daniel We are planning to issue an anthology of Catholic poetry, edited by Thomas Merton, and he has asked «detailed view»
Series 2 #13.
«All Series«		 1948/11/19 TL[x] to McHale, John J. Thank you for your letter of November 6th. If I understand your meaning correctly, you would like proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #14.
«All Series«		 1948/11/24 (#01) TLS[x] to Sweeney, Francis Thank you ever so much for your kind letter of the 19th, and the excellent group of poems. Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #15.
«All Series«		 1948/11/24? (#02) other[x]   Comments -2- This is a book that has real poems in it. The poet has a penetrating and wise eye, Merton's comments on a book of poems, seemingly those of Fr. Francis Sweeney, S.J. / Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #16.
«All Series«		 1948/11/26 TLS[x] from Rosebury, Richard W. We are pleased to quote our price for binding your book with specifications as follows, SEEDS OF book binding specifications for Seeds of Contemplation «detailed view»
Series 2 #17.
«All Series«		 1948/11/30 TLS[x] from Fearns, John Under separate cover, I am returning to you the galley sheets for SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION «detailed view»
Series 2 #18.
«All Series«		 1948/12/08 TLS[x] from Rittenhouse, George We take pleasure in offering our estimate for binding, based on the following specifications: binding specifications for Seeds of Contemplation «detailed view»
Series 2 #19.
«All Series«		 1948/12/09 TL[x] to Kennedy, Leo I am simply delighted that your will be willing to lend a hand on our Catholic verse anthology Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #20.
«All Series«		 1948/12/10 TL[x] to McHale, John J. Thank you ever so much for your kind letter of November 23rd, in which you state that you will be rights for Pier's translation of "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross to be quoted by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #21.
«All Series«		 1948/12/13 TLS[x] from Kennedy, Leo Your letter of December 9 is very helpful. I shall start making notes on the Merton project Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #22.
«All Series«		 1948/12/17 TL[x] to Peers, E. Allison I am writing to you at the suggestion of Thomas Merton, whom we publish. As I think you know, proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #23.
«All Series«		 1949/01/11 TLS[x] from Burns, T. F. Professor Peers has forwarded me your letter of December 17th. I would like to do anything proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #24.
«All Series«		 1949/01/19 (#01) TLS[x] from Peers, E. Allison I am sorry to have been so long answering your letter of December 17 last but it has involved proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #25.
«All Series«		 1949/01/19 (#02) TLS[x] from Sweeney, Francis You may recall that in November last I sent you several poems for possible inclusion Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #26.
«All Series«		 1949/01/19 (#03) TLS[x] from Pollinger, Laurence Further to my letter of 3rd November about Thomas Merton's two volumes of poetry, A MAN IN THE T. S. Eliot's interest in Merton's A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse «detailed view»
Series 2 #27.
«All Series«		 1949/02/14 TL[x] to Peers, E. Allison Thank you ever so much for your letter of January 19th. I think it is terribly decent of you to let proposed commentary by Merton on "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross «detailed view»
Series 2 #28.
«All Series«		 1949/02/15 TL[x] to Pollinger, Laurence Thank you so much for yours of 19th January, with your report on what Eliot said about Tom Merton. T. S. Eliot's interest in Merton's A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse «detailed view»
Series 2 #29.
«All Series«		 1949/03/20 TLS[x] from Berrigan, Daniel My deep gratitude for the copy of "Seeds of Contemplation," which arrived Friday. «detailed view»
Series 2 #30.
«All Series«		 1949/03/22 TL[x] to Pollinger, Laurence I have just received a letter from T. S. Eliot with the very disturbing news that after all these T. S. Eliot deciding not to compile and anthology of some of Merton's poems from A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse «detailed view»
Series 2 #31.
«All Series«		 1949/04/05 TLS[x] from from Fox, James / to Mrs. M. A. Vickers In regard to the poetry of Merton being used on a disc, I found that you will have to write to: New plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #32.
«All Series«		 1949/04/09 TLS[x] from Vickers, M. A., Mrs. Recently I telephoned from Bangor, Me., to the Abbey of Gethsemani with the purpose of stimulating plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #33.
«All Series«		 1949/04/26 TLS[x] from Rittenhouse, George At the request of your New York office, I am very happy to submit you a price for the printing binding and printing prices for Seeds of Contemplation «detailed view»
Series 2 #34.
«All Series«		 1949/05/06 TL[x]  from Florio, Eleanor / to Percy Bland This letter is to authorize you to proceed with the printing of 500 copies of our title SEEDS OF to a printing company regarding Seeds of Contemplation «detailed view»
Series 2 #35.
«All Series«		 1949/05/11 TL[x] to Vickers, M. A., Mrs. Please forgive our delay in answering your inquiry about recording rights on some of Father Merton's plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #36.
«All Series«		 1949/05/20 TL[x] to Stone, Naomi Burton There is no hurry about this matter, but it just happened to pass through my head, so I thought Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #37.
«All Series«		 1949/06/02 (#01) TL[x] to Packard, Professor Not long ago, we received a letter from a Mrs. Vickers in Bangor, Maine telling us that Harvard plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #38.
«All Series«		 1949/06/02 (#02) TLS[x] to Speaight, Robert I was down last week to the monastery in Kentucky to see Thomas Merton get ordained, and he told me plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #39.
«All Series«		 1949/06/02 (#03) TL[x] to Vickers, M. A., Mrs. Further to my letter of May 11th about your desire to have some of Thomas Merton's poetry recorded, plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #40.
«All Series«		 1949/06/06 TLS[x] from Lentfoehr, Thérèse This morning I received a note from Father Louis OCR (Thomas Merton) asking me to send you proposed anthology of Catholic poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #41.
«All Series«		 1949/06/09 TL[x] to Lentfoehr, Thérèse Thank you ever so much for sending in your fine poems for Father Merton's anthology. proposed anthology of Catholic poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #42.
«All Series«		 1949/06/10 TLS[x] from Morrissey, Una We have read with great interest your publication SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION by Thomas Merton The Mercier Press asking permission to print an edition of Seeds of Contemplation in Ireland «detailed view»
Series 2 #43.
«All Series«		 1949/06/15 TLS[x] from Fox, James Thank you for the Blessings. We need them always. You almost received six cheese. «detailed view»
Series 2 #44.
«All Series«		 1949/06/17 TL[x] to Morrissey, Una I agree with you that there might be a very good sale for Thomas Merton's book, SEEDS OF The Mercier Press asking permission to print an edition of Seeds of Contemplation in Ireland «detailed view»
Series 2 #45.
«All Series«		 1949/07/07 TLS[x] from Pinto Alves, Carlos I should like very much to make a translation into Portuguese of the book "Seeds of Contemplation" «detailed view»
Series 2 #46.
«All Series«		 1949/07/26 HLS[x] from St. Elizabeth of the Cross, Sr., C.N.D. If you have any other published works by Thomas Merton, besides Seven Storey Mt., Seeds of writing master of arts thesis on Thomas Merton, "Social Critic of Contemporary Civilization" «detailed view»
Series 2 #47.
«All Series«		 1949/08/03 TLS[x] from Gordon, Eleanor Re: SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION Sixth Printing [-] Mr. Rosebury of Charles H. Bohn has just advised «detailed view»
Series 2 #48.
«All Series«		 1949/08/08 TL[x] to Speaight, Robert I was awfully sorry to miss you when you were over here in this country last summer. plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #49.
«All Series«		 1949/08/09 TL[x] to St. Elizabeth of the Cross, Sr., C.N.D. Many thanks for your interesting letter of July 26th, and I certainly appreciate your kind offer Sr. St. Elizabeth's bibliography of Merton's published articles in magazines and her master of arts thesis on Thomas Merton, "Social Critic of Contemporary Civilization" «detailed view»
Series 2 #50.
«All Series«		 1949/08/22 HLS[x] from Speaight, Robert Thank you for your letter with its very interesting proposal. I shall be in Boston, according plans to make an audio recording of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #51.
«All Series«		 1949/08/26 TLS[x] from Kennedy, Leo The enclosed five poems, in the Catholic tradition, are taken from my book, "The Shrouding," Catholic anthology of poetry compiled by Merton «detailed view»
Series 2 #52.
«All Series«		 1949/09/06 TALS[x] from Pollinger, Gerald J. As you may know, Hollis & Carter published ELECTED SILENCE by this Author over here earlier selection of Merton's A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse for an anthology in England «detailed view»
Series 2 #53.
«All Series«		 1949/09/08 TLS[x] from Burns, T. F. I feel very ashamed at having kept you waiting for so long about the Merton poems. selection of Merton's A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse for an anthology in England / interest in airing in England some of Robert Speaight's readings of Merton's poetry «detailed view»
Series 2 #54.
«All Series«		 1961/02/16 TL[x] to Donini, Filippo I have just received a letter from Father Thomas Merton, down at the monastery in Trappist, Kentucky [to Dr. Filippo Donini of the Italian Cultural Institute of New York] quotes Merton's interest in Salvatore Quasimodo «detailed view»
Series 2 #55.
«All Series«		 1966/10/18? other[x] by Laughlin, James DF [-] URGENT [-] The Merton drawings is now definitely scheduled at Paraclete Book Center so we [verso: invitation to an exhibition of drawings by Thomas Merton at the Paraclete Press Book Center] «detailed view»
Series 2 #56.
«All Series«		 1967/02/20 TLS[x] from Chakravarty, Amiya Perhaps Fr. Thomas Merton has already written to you about the discussion that he and I had idea for a book about dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity to include work from Merton and Chakravarty - papal encyclical Pacem in Terris and the Buddha's affirmations «detailed view»
Series 2 #57.
«All Series«		 1967/02/27 TL[x] to Chakravarty, Amiya Thank you so much for your very interesting letter of February 20, and the enclosure of materials suggests other publishing houses that might be better for a work on interreligious dialogue between Christians and Buddhists «detailed view»
Series 2 #58.
«All Series«		 1967/04/25 HLS[x] from Meatyard, Ralph Eugene Tom Merton asked me to send these prints to you. They are his three favorites of the recent pictures «detailed view»
Series 2 #59.
«All Series«		 1967/05/26 TL[x] to Meatyard, Ralph Eugene Thank you so much for letting me see the pictures which you took of Father Merton. rejection of photos for cover of Selected Poems «detailed view»
Series 2 #60.
«All Series«		 1968/07/05 HLS[x] from Lucas, Pierre Permettez-mois de vous remercier Fr. Pierre Lucas of the Collège Sainte-Barbe in Paris, France, regarding his program to raise money for priests who have left the priesthood and were looking for employment «detailed view»
Series 2 #61.
«All Series«		 1968/09/04 TL[x] to Burns, Flavian Thank you so much for your letter authorizing that any charges on Father Louis's American Express «detailed view»
Series 2 #62.
«All Series«		 1968/12/11 TL[x] to Burns, Flavian I am shattered by this unbelievable event. I know it is God's will, and I know that our dear friend Laughlin's response to Dom Flavian Burns of Gethsemani Abbey at the news of Merton's death «detailed view»
Series 2 #63.
«All Series«		 1968/12/15 TLS[x]  from Stier, Victor / to Ferry, Wilbur Hugh "Ping" I've seen meaning to drop you a line for a long time, mostly to tell you that I've finally finished reflections on Thomas Merton and his Asian journey after his death «detailed view»
Series 2 #64.
«All Series«		 1968/12/16 TLS[x] from Baciu, Stefan I take the liberty to write you as a friend of Thomas Merton, since you were his publisher Merton had, before his death, promised a contribution to Mele and Baciu asks if Laughlin can send a poem «detailed view»
Series 2 #65.
«All Series«		 1968/12/17 TLS[x] from Williams, Jonathan It was a real jolt to pick up TIME this afternoon in Westfield, Massachusetts while waiting for my contains a poem written by Williams while at Gethsemani with Guy Davenport, Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Merton, "Tom Merton's Neighbor, Andy Boone, Look Up" «detailed view»
Series 2 #66.
«All Series«		 1968/12/20 TL[x] to Baciu, Stefan Thank you for your letter of December 16. Father Merton's death is a terrible loss to all of us, instructions on obtaining permissions to use previously published poems for Mele «detailed view»
Series 2 #67.
«All Series«		 1968/12/23 telegram[x] from Giroux, Robert MEMORIAL MASS FOR THOMAS MERTON MONDAY DECEMBER THIRTIETH AT ELEVEN ST PATRICK'S «detailed view»
Series 2 #68.
«All Series«		 1969/01/03 TL[x] to Giroux, Robert Many thanks for your telegrams, which has been forwarded to me out in Utah, where I'm having a bit «detailed view»
Series 2 #69.
«All Series«		 1969/06/07 TALS[x] from Lentfoehr, Thérèse Some time ago Naomi Burton asked if I had any knowledge of where the word "Lograire" came from, Sr. Thérèse Lentfoehr explains what she thinks is the meaning of Merton's title for his last book of poems, The Geography of Lograire «detailed view»
Series 2 #70.
«All Series«		 1984/07/21 TLS[x] to Dennis, Rodney Concern has been expressed by my good friends at Gethsemani Monastery in Kentucky about [to Rodney Dennis, Curator of Manuscripts, Houghton Library, Harvard College] disposition of some of Merton's private papers «detailed view»

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