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All items in this file are photocopies from other collections or from a United States government Freedom of Information Act request. Merton donated his letters from Pasternak and carbon copies of this letters to the University of Kentucky.
Boris Pasternak was the Russian novelist and poet best known for Dr. Zhivago. This novel earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature, but, after the nomination, he was forced to leave the Soviet Writers' Union.
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
See also the "FBI Materials and CIA Materials", "Harris, John", and "Wolff, Helen" files; and see also published letters from Merton to Pasternak published in The Courage for Truth, pp. 87-93. All letters between Merton and Pasternak were published in Merton & Hesychasm: The Prayer of the Heart, pp. 397-408.
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. |
1958/08/22 |
TL[x] from Merton |
Although we are separated by great distances and even greater barriers it gives me pleasure to speak |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1958/09/27 |
HLS[x] to Merton |
Thank you from all my heart for your warm congenial letter. It also (like my writing to you) seems |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1958/10/03 |
HLS[x] to Merton |
I thank you for "Prometheus" and for the kind unmerited dedication, which I have received yesterday. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1958/10/23 |
TL[x] from Merton |
What a great joy it was to receive your two letters. It has given me much food for thought, |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1958/11/18 |
TLS[x] from Harris, John / to Merton |
Mr. Boris Pasternak wishes me to pass a message to you. I quote his own English: Write if possible |
|
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1958/12/15 |
TL[x] from Merton |
For a long time I have been holding my breath in the midst of the turmoil of incomparable nonsense |
✓ |
[see also the "FBI Materials and CIA Materials" file for a copy of Merton's letter intercepted and copied by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and thence forwarded to Pasternak]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1960/02/07 |
HLS[x] to Merton |
[…] Thank you immensely for giving me such inexhaustible marvelous reading for the next future |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
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