In November 1960 the noted scholar of Shaker life and craft, Edward Deming Andrews, wrote to Thomas Merton offering
assistance with a book on the religion of the Shakers that he had heard Merton was planning. Though nothing came of that book,
the ensuing correspondence between Merton and Andrews, and after Andrews' death in 1964 with his widow and collaborator
Faith, itself became a spirited and spiritual examination and celebration of the lives and legacy of the Shakers.
Here for the first time, Dr. Paul M. Pearson (Director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University) introduces and brings
together both sides of this correspondence,allowing the reader to delight in both the interplay of ideas and inspiration, and the
growth of sincere affection, that occurred between Merton and the Andrews through their shared vocation. The correspondence is
supplemented by a selection of Merton's photographs of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky, newly identified with
captions supplied by Pleasant Hill Curator Larrie S. Curry. A review of the Andrews' Shaker Furniture by Ananda K.
Coomaraswamy concludes the volume.
Merton once observed, "The peculiar grace of a Shaker chair is due to the fact that it was made by someone capable of believing
that an angel might come and sit on it." To read these letters is to experience a meeting of angels, coming to rest for a moment in
the contemplation of the simple, but to this day challenging, gifts of the Shakers.
“These letters reveal a true meeting of minds. It is a delight to read the private correspondence of two such learned and
gentlemanly souls. Merton is thoughtful and eloquent; Andrews is generous and kind. Both are intellectual. This is a lovely book,
inside and out. Paul M.Pearson, who edited this volume and also provides the introduction, is a fine scholar.”
Frederick Smock, Louisville Courier Journal, November 29, 2008
“The publication ... emphasises particularly, for us, Merton’s great capacity for friendship, his compassion and enthusiasm to share
his boundless knowledge....We are indebted to Dr. Paul Pearson for this delightful book which brings Merton, as his friends knew
him, so much closer to us.”
Thea van Dam, The Merton Journal, Eastertide, 2009; Vol. 16, No.1
"Over the sink in the kitchen of Thomas Merton’s hermitage is a Shaker spirit drawing, 'The Tree of Life,' that hangs like a memory
of Merton’s fascination with that peculiar people called the Shakers. It was the gift of Edward Deming Andrews, the token of a
friendship celebrated in this collection.... A Meeting of Angels is another beautiful volume by Paul Pearson who has carefully
presented...a precious distillation of Merton’s illuminating insights into the fascinating heritage of the American Shakers....[With] Dr.
Pearson, I salute the friendship between these two exceptional souls which he describes as 'a rare meeting of spirits…the
celebration of a meeting of angels….'"
Kathleen Deignan, CND, "A Common Ground of Simplicity," The Merton Seasonal, Vol. 34, No. 2, Summer 2009
"A good book – a worthy book – leads its adventurous readers on a journey of discovery, only to bring those pilgrims back home
to their too familiar world, forever changed. In A Meeting of Angels: The Correspondence of Thomas Merton with Edward
Deming & Faith Andrews, editor Paul M. Pearson has given us just such a book.... Reading any such book of real letters shared
by real people struggling with passion and purpose provides an experience starkly refreshing…."
David Shockey, Kentucky Monthly, May 2009
assistance with a book on the religion of the Shakers that he had heard Merton was planning. Though nothing came of that book,
the ensuing correspondence between Merton and Andrews, and after Andrews' death in 1964 with his widow and collaborator
Faith, itself became a spirited and spiritual examination and celebration of the lives and legacy of the Shakers.
Here for the first time, Dr. Paul M. Pearson (Director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University) introduces and brings
together both sides of this correspondence,allowing the reader to delight in both the interplay of ideas and inspiration, and the
growth of sincere affection, that occurred between Merton and the Andrews through their shared vocation. The correspondence is
supplemented by a selection of Merton's photographs of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky, newly identified with
captions supplied by Pleasant Hill Curator Larrie S. Curry. A review of the Andrews' Shaker Furniture by Ananda K.
Coomaraswamy concludes the volume.
Merton once observed, "The peculiar grace of a Shaker chair is due to the fact that it was made by someone capable of believing
that an angel might come and sit on it." To read these letters is to experience a meeting of angels, coming to rest for a moment in
the contemplation of the simple, but to this day challenging, gifts of the Shakers.
“These letters reveal a true meeting of minds. It is a delight to read the private correspondence of two such learned and
gentlemanly souls. Merton is thoughtful and eloquent; Andrews is generous and kind. Both are intellectual. This is a lovely book,
inside and out. Paul M.Pearson, who edited this volume and also provides the introduction, is a fine scholar.”
Frederick Smock, Louisville Courier Journal, November 29, 2008
“The publication ... emphasises particularly, for us, Merton’s great capacity for friendship, his compassion and enthusiasm to share
his boundless knowledge....We are indebted to Dr. Paul Pearson for this delightful book which brings Merton, as his friends knew
him, so much closer to us.”
Thea van Dam, The Merton Journal, Eastertide, 2009; Vol. 16, No.1
"Over the sink in the kitchen of Thomas Merton’s hermitage is a Shaker spirit drawing, 'The Tree of Life,' that hangs like a memory
of Merton’s fascination with that peculiar people called the Shakers. It was the gift of Edward Deming Andrews, the token of a
friendship celebrated in this collection.... A Meeting of Angels is another beautiful volume by Paul Pearson who has carefully
presented...a precious distillation of Merton’s illuminating insights into the fascinating heritage of the American Shakers....[With] Dr.
Pearson, I salute the friendship between these two exceptional souls which he describes as 'a rare meeting of spirits…the
celebration of a meeting of angels….'"
Kathleen Deignan, CND, "A Common Ground of Simplicity," The Merton Seasonal, Vol. 34, No. 2, Summer 2009
"A good book – a worthy book – leads its adventurous readers on a journey of discovery, only to bring those pilgrims back home
to their too familiar world, forever changed. In A Meeting of Angels: The Correspondence of Thomas Merton with Edward
Deming & Faith Andrews, editor Paul M. Pearson has given us just such a book.... Reading any such book of real letters shared
by real people struggling with passion and purpose provides an experience starkly refreshing…."
David Shockey, Kentucky Monthly, May 2009
In this meditation on the poetry of Thomas Merton, fellow poet Frederick Smock considers how Merton's poetry - perhaps the
least-known of his writings - was nevertheless an integral component of his work for peace. But as the term meditation suggests,
Smock's examination of the poetry serves as a point of entry into a far broader inquiry, not only into Merton's life and work, but
into the necessary engagement of other poets in the work for peace, and into Smock's own development as an artist and a man
confronting the world.
"Frederick Smock's 'Peace to all who enter here' is not so much another meditation on Merton as it is Merton's meditations on
the timeless values of silence, solitude, and meditation itself as a means of finding spiritual balance and peace in a world given
over to sectarian division and strife. It is a wise prescription to treat the birth pangs of globalization, including intolerance and the
practice of violent nation-building. It should be read by all who wish to better understand the doctrinal walls that only seem to
separate us - including poets, students of the spirit, citizens of conscience, and members of Congress."
Richard Taylor, Kentucky Poet Laureate
"In this short but beautifully produced little volume Frederick Smock...presents one of the few books about Merton's poetry
specifically written by a fellow poet...and from his own background in poetry he captures insights into Merton overlooked in
many other works and then conveys those insights in delightful prose with a lilt of poetry.
"Pax Intrantibus is a gentle introduction to Merton's poetry, not an academic tome. Smock opens up the major themes of
Merton's poetry from his earliest poems right up to the poems written in the final year of his life. Though gentle Smock does not
avoid tackling the numerous issues Merton raises through his poetry, in particular, as the title of this book suggests, Merton's
poetry dealing with war and peace, the nuclear arms race, racism, the media and technology....
"In the spirit of Thomas Merton Smock takes Merton's thought and applies it to our present day, thought that is as pertinent now
as it was at the time Merton wrote it....
"This small book would be a valuable addition to any Merton library."
Paul M. Pearson, The Merton Journal, Advent 2007, Volume 14 Number 2
"Smock...doesn't attempt to define the paradoxical Merton or his poetry.... But what Smock does capture in this stirring
meditation is the same deep mystery and ecumenical spirit inherent in Merton's poetry."
Aimee Zaring, Louisville Courier-Journal, November 17, 2007
“Pax Intrantibus, Latin for ‘peace to those who enter,’ and inscribed above the entrance to the Abbey of Gethsemani near
Bardstown [Kentucky], is an apt title for the author’s book of meditations on Merton’s poetry. In a much larger sense, those
who enter into Merton’s verse get a picture of a spirit of peace that is universal.” Steve Flairty, Kentucky Monthly August 2007
Frederick Smock is the poet-in-residence and chairs the English Department at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky,
where he received the 2005 Wyatt Faculty Award. His several books include three of poetry, most recently Guest House
(Larkspur Press), and essay collections Poetry & Compassion: Essays on Art & Craft and Craft-talk: On Writing Poetry.
He is the recipient of the Henry Leadingham Poetry Prize, the Jim Wayne Miller Prize for Poetry, and an Al Smith Fellowship in
Poetry from the Kentucky Arts Council. His poems have appeared in Poetry, The Iowa Review, and others. Mr. Smock lives
in Louisville with his wife, the writer and actor Olga-Maria Cruz.
least-known of his writings - was nevertheless an integral component of his work for peace. But as the term meditation suggests,
Smock's examination of the poetry serves as a point of entry into a far broader inquiry, not only into Merton's life and work, but
into the necessary engagement of other poets in the work for peace, and into Smock's own development as an artist and a man
confronting the world.
"Frederick Smock's 'Peace to all who enter here' is not so much another meditation on Merton as it is Merton's meditations on
the timeless values of silence, solitude, and meditation itself as a means of finding spiritual balance and peace in a world given
over to sectarian division and strife. It is a wise prescription to treat the birth pangs of globalization, including intolerance and the
practice of violent nation-building. It should be read by all who wish to better understand the doctrinal walls that only seem to
separate us - including poets, students of the spirit, citizens of conscience, and members of Congress."
Richard Taylor, Kentucky Poet Laureate
"In this short but beautifully produced little volume Frederick Smock...presents one of the few books about Merton's poetry
specifically written by a fellow poet...and from his own background in poetry he captures insights into Merton overlooked in
many other works and then conveys those insights in delightful prose with a lilt of poetry.
"Pax Intrantibus is a gentle introduction to Merton's poetry, not an academic tome. Smock opens up the major themes of
Merton's poetry from his earliest poems right up to the poems written in the final year of his life. Though gentle Smock does not
avoid tackling the numerous issues Merton raises through his poetry, in particular, as the title of this book suggests, Merton's
poetry dealing with war and peace, the nuclear arms race, racism, the media and technology....
"In the spirit of Thomas Merton Smock takes Merton's thought and applies it to our present day, thought that is as pertinent now
as it was at the time Merton wrote it....
"This small book would be a valuable addition to any Merton library."
Paul M. Pearson, The Merton Journal, Advent 2007, Volume 14 Number 2
"Smock...doesn't attempt to define the paradoxical Merton or his poetry.... But what Smock does capture in this stirring
meditation is the same deep mystery and ecumenical spirit inherent in Merton's poetry."
Aimee Zaring, Louisville Courier-Journal, November 17, 2007
“Pax Intrantibus, Latin for ‘peace to those who enter,’ and inscribed above the entrance to the Abbey of Gethsemani near
Bardstown [Kentucky], is an apt title for the author’s book of meditations on Merton’s poetry. In a much larger sense, those
who enter into Merton’s verse get a picture of a spirit of peace that is universal.” Steve Flairty, Kentucky Monthly August 2007
Frederick Smock is the poet-in-residence and chairs the English Department at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky,
where he received the 2005 Wyatt Faculty Award. His several books include three of poetry, most recently Guest House
(Larkspur Press), and essay collections Poetry & Compassion: Essays on Art & Craft and Craft-talk: On Writing Poetry.
He is the recipient of the Henry Leadingham Poetry Prize, the Jim Wayne Miller Prize for Poetry, and an Al Smith Fellowship in
Poetry from the Kentucky Arts Council. His poems have appeared in Poetry, The Iowa Review, and others. Mr. Smock lives
in Louisville with his wife, the writer and actor Olga-Maria Cruz.
This is a book that might well begin, "Once upon a time… and a place." The time, 1967 and 1968, a period of now mythic
cultural significance; the place, central Kentucky, from all appearances far from the epicenters of that cultural upheaval. Yet it was
then and there that Jonathan Greene, a young poet and fledgling publisher from New York City by way of California, met one of
the world’s most famous and public hermits, Thomas Merton. The result was the tragically brief friendship and literary
collaboration that is celebrated in this volume.
Greene’s introductory memoir sets the scene, describing the unexpectedly rich intellectual and artistic milieu out in the "hinterland"
of Kentucky where he was introduced to Merton through mutual friends. Two brief essays on Merton provide further context for
the letters that follow, and demonstrate both the breadth of Merton’s literary interests and the depth of Greene’s knowledge of his
friend’s writings. Their letters, all too few, coincided with the limited run of Merton’s literary magazine, Monks Pond, and his
exchange with Greene (then publishing his own journal, Gnomon) reveals two deeply erudite and abundantly witty minds at work
with the earnest joy of language. The longing of the reader that this collaboration might have lasted for many more years is
underscored by the poignancy of Greene’s elegiac poem that closes the volume.
Both Greene and Merton have been hermits in their respective fashions, yet both in finding their footing away from the larger
world found that their feet were nevertheless on the pathway connecting them to that world, engaging them in the life of the mind
and of the spirit. Their words, surviving the silence of decades, are indeed all the better for it.
“A delightful, beautifully produced little volume.... It is of interest to Merton aficionados...and to many others.”
Paul M. Pearson, Director, Thomas Merton Center, Bellarmine University -- Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 2005
“Ce petit volume est un joyeau.” ("This little volume is a joy.")
Brigitte Bouillon – Collectanea Cisterciensia, Vol. 68, No. 1 (2006)
“Its affection and direct expression provide a passing glimpse into the operations of Merton's psyche when friendship and
enterprise intersect.”
Paschal Baumstein, OSB – American Benedictine Review, September 2006
cultural significance; the place, central Kentucky, from all appearances far from the epicenters of that cultural upheaval. Yet it was
then and there that Jonathan Greene, a young poet and fledgling publisher from New York City by way of California, met one of
the world’s most famous and public hermits, Thomas Merton. The result was the tragically brief friendship and literary
collaboration that is celebrated in this volume.
Greene’s introductory memoir sets the scene, describing the unexpectedly rich intellectual and artistic milieu out in the "hinterland"
of Kentucky where he was introduced to Merton through mutual friends. Two brief essays on Merton provide further context for
the letters that follow, and demonstrate both the breadth of Merton’s literary interests and the depth of Greene’s knowledge of his
friend’s writings. Their letters, all too few, coincided with the limited run of Merton’s literary magazine, Monks Pond, and his
exchange with Greene (then publishing his own journal, Gnomon) reveals two deeply erudite and abundantly witty minds at work
with the earnest joy of language. The longing of the reader that this collaboration might have lasted for many more years is
underscored by the poignancy of Greene’s elegiac poem that closes the volume.
Both Greene and Merton have been hermits in their respective fashions, yet both in finding their footing away from the larger
world found that their feet were nevertheless on the pathway connecting them to that world, engaging them in the life of the mind
and of the spirit. Their words, surviving the silence of decades, are indeed all the better for it.
“A delightful, beautifully produced little volume.... It is of interest to Merton aficionados...and to many others.”
Paul M. Pearson, Director, Thomas Merton Center, Bellarmine University -- Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 2005
“Ce petit volume est un joyeau.” ("This little volume is a joy.")
Brigitte Bouillon – Collectanea Cisterciensia, Vol. 68, No. 1 (2006)
“Its affection and direct expression provide a passing glimpse into the operations of Merton's psyche when friendship and
enterprise intersect.”
Paschal Baumstein, OSB – American Benedictine Review, September 2006
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
On the Banks of Monks Pond: The Thomas Merton/ Jonathan
Greene Correspondence
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publication Date: August 2004
ISBN: 978-0972114424
Price: $22.50
Greene Correspondence
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publication Date: August 2004
ISBN: 978-0972114424
Price: $22.50
| The Broadstone Books Thomas Merton Series EXPLORING THE LIFE AND WORK OF THOMAS MERTON IN THE CONTEXT AND CULTURE OF HIS TIME AND OURS |
Pax Intrantibus: A Meditation on the Poetry of Thomas Merton
by Frederick Smock
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publication Date: April 30, 2007
ISBN: 978-0972114462
Price: $25.00
by Frederick Smock
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publication Date: April 30, 2007
ISBN: 978-0972114462
Price: $25.00
A Meeting of Angels: The Correspondence of Thomas Merton with
Edward Deming & Faith Andrews
edited by Paul M. Pearson
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publication Date: October 13, 2008
ISBN: 978-0972114493
Price: $25.00
| Winner of 2009 Kentucky Historical Society Kentucky History Award! "Award of Merit" for State & Local History Publication |