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Merton's Correspondence with:

Nicanor Parra; Sandoval, Nicanor Parra; Parra Sandoval, Nicanor; Nicanor Parra Sandoval

Parra, Nicanor, 1914-2018  printer

 
 

Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1965-1967, 1969
Volume: 32 item(s); 47 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Parra, Nicanor".

Biography

Nicanor Parra distinguished himself as the most prominent Chilean poet, or antipoet, of the Generation of 1938. In 1935, he and friends started Revista Nueva. The surrealism of Pablo Neruda and the writing of Garcia Lorca among others influenced his first book of poetry, published in 1937. Parra became a professor of mathematics and theoretical physics Universidad de Chile in Santiago from 1951-1991 after his graduate studies at Brown University in Rhode Island and Oxford in England. The direction of his poetry changed in the 1960's, inventing a new poetic form called antipoetry. He published a number of volumes of poetry and influenced many other poets, including Merton, who translated a number of his poems. Parra along with James Laughlin visited Merton at Gethsemani Abbey in May of 1966. (Source: "Parra, Nicanor." Spanish American Authors. 1992. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 26 Jan. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

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

Related Information and Links

See also published letters from Merton to Parra in The Courage for Truth, pp. 212-214.

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

Series NumberSeries NameTotal Records
1 Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence 7
2 James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence 25

Container List

Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"

#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
1. Series 1: 1965/03/20 TL[c] from Merton Thanks very much for the two books of poems, which you sent me some time ago. You seemed ✓ Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
2. Series 1: 1965/06/08? HLS to Merton sus traducciones me parecen optimas. Muchas, pero muchísimas gracias. Solo hay una que otra Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
3. Series 1: 1965/06/12 TAL[c] from Merton Acabo de recibir tu carta y estoy muy contento. Estaba en el punto de escribirte porque una revista ✓ Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
4. Series 1: 1965/07/26 HLS to Merton los estudios de Relatividad me teman prácticamente fuera del mundo. Busco un método más sencillo Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
5. Series 1: 1966/06/no? HPCS[x] to Merton Tenemos que volver vernos. Alguin vez. Nicanor. Father Louis we have been speaking of the Upanishads Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [(original postcard in Laughlin file) notes on postcard from James Laughlin, Nicanor Parra, Marianne Moore, and an unknown signatory - Merton acknowledges the postcard in his letter to Laughlin of 1966/06/23 - postcard of Patchin Place in Greenwich Village, New York] «detailed view»
6. Series 1: 1967/04/28 TL[c] from Merton It is almost exactly a year since your historic visit here. The weather is now once again as it was ✓ Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
7. Series 1: 1967/09/22 other   Computation of Payments to Translators in POEMS & ANTI-POEMS [-] By Nicanor Parra Series 1: Thomas Merton and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
8. Series 2: 1964/12/28 transcript from Laughlin, James Father Thomas Merton liked very much the poem which we translated together, and he too is eager Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
9. Series 2: 1965/01/16 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James Dentro de algunas horas tomo el avión a México, desde donde volaré a Cuba. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
10. Series 2: 1965/03/04 transcript from Laughlin, James I am so glad that you have sent books to Father Merton and to Miss Levertov. I hope very much Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
11. Series 2: 1965/04/18 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James a mi regreso de Cuba (vía México), desde pasé casi tres meses, me encuentro con tu generosísima Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
12. Series 2: 1965/05/07 transcript from Laughlin, James I was pleased to receive your fine letter of April 18th with all its interesting news. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
13. Series 2: 1965/07/08 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James 1) te encuentro toda la razón. Creo que Miller terminará también encuentrándotela. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [handwritten letter by Parra on a typescript of Allen Ginsberg's English translation of Parra's poem "Pido que se levante la sesión" ("I move the meeting be adjourned") / mentions Merton] «detailed view»
14. Series 2: 1965/07/13 transcript from Laughlin, James I'm so glad you are in touch with Padre Tom. He is a wonderful person. Did you send him suggestions Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
15. Series 2: 1966/02/26 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James por fin estoy nuevamente en los E.E.U.U. El viaje fué largo pero sin contratiempos. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
16. Series 2: 1966/03/07 transcript from Laughlin, James I wrote to Father Merton that you were now in this country, and he is eager to meet you, Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
17. Series 2: 1966/04/15 transcript from Laughlin, James I am leaving tomorrow for a little trip out west,… On my return east I hope to stop off in Kentucky Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
18. Series 2: 1966/04/25 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James Por fin hemos puesto término a la tradución y ordenación de los poemas de nuestro libro. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
19. Series 2: 1966/10/20 transcript from Laughlin, James When are you coming north again? Everybody missed you very much. Our friend in Kentucky is Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
20. Series 2: 1967/04/17 transcript from Laughlin, James Tom Merton has not been too well. He has had trouble with bursitis, and had an operation for it, Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
21. Series 2: 1967/08/07 transcript from Laughlin, James I hear from Tom Merton about every week and he seems to be in good form, busy as ever. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
22. Series 2: 1967/11/20 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James Un saludo cordial antes de tomar el avión a Caracas, al IV Congreso de la Interamerican Foundation Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [see "Laughlin, James" file - letter originally dated 1967/November/03 and signed "Nick" (Nicanor Parra) to Laughlin - photocopy sent to Merton] «detailed view»
23. Series 2: 1967/12/no transcript to Laughlin, James If Tom wants me, I will certainly stop at Kentucky and stay a weekend there or something. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
24. Series 2: 1967/no/no HLS[x] to Laughlin, James Muy bien la solapa de nuestro libro. Me gusta muchísimo. No había escrito antes por razones que tú Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
25. Series 2: 1968/02/21 transcript from Laughlin, James Last weekend I had a very nice visit with Tom Merton down in Kentucky. He looks well and seems Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
26. Series 2: 1968/03/06 transcript from Laughlin, James I enclose a couple of little pictures, ones that Tom took, and I have been meaning to send them Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
27. Series 2: 1968/03/24 transcript to Laughlin, James Qué sera Tom? Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
28. Series 2: 1969/02/04 TL[x] from Laughlin, James I have been a bit worried because I haven't heard from you for such a long time. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
29. Series 2: 1969/02/20 HLS[x] to Laughlin, James Gracias por tu última carta y por la reseña de Northern Review: aquí está todo casi normal - Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... «detailed view»
30. Series 2: 1969/04/07 TL[x] from Laughlin, James Please forgive my delay in thanking you for your letter of February 20, which was most welcome. Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
31. Series 2: 1969/10/14 TL[x] from Laughlin, James Congratulations on your big prize! We were all so thrilled to hear about it. I had the news first Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [mentions Merton] «detailed view»
32. Series 2: undated/no/no other[x]   Verses on the Death of Merton [-] Ernesto Cardenal [-] Our lives are rivers Series 2: James Laughlin and Nicanor Parra Correspondence... [contains handwritten annotations] «detailed view»
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