Guy Davenport was a professor of literature at University of Kentucky and author of literary essays, short stories and poetry. He visited Merton's hermitage in 1967 (source: The Courage for Truth, p. 251).
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. |
1967/01/20 |
TLS to Merton |
I am sending you, at Jonathan Williams' request, Ronald Johnson's book of poems -- one |
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«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1967/02/20 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Thanks for your letter written in the midst of an existential leap from Franklin to Walton |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1967/02/20 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Thanks for your letter written in the midst of an existential leap from Franklin to Walton |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1967/02/20 (#03) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
This is the piece I mentioned in my letter. Best wishes [-] Tom. |
✓ |
[mimeographed enclosure copy of Merton's essay "The Spiritual Father in the Desert Tradition" - one page only with Merton's handwriting, a note on title page]
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| 5. |
1967/02/21 |
TLS to Merton |
[I salute in kind, without postures of whatever correctness applies, since I'm not certain whether |
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| 6. |
1967/02/23 |
HCS to Merton |
Thank you for so kindly sharing the meditations on the hermits. Spirit dwells in places, |
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[verso: illuminated manuscript - "Flowers Illuminations - Manuscript XVth - Troyes Library"]
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| 7. |
1967/06/05? |
TLS to Merton |
A grand picnic, that. If Gene has developed the pictures, I haven't seen 'em. And one will see |
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«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1967/06/11 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
The book on Bohr that I have just read is the one by Ruth Moore. Quite good, I thought. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1967/06/11 (#02) |
TALS[x] from Merton |
The book on Bohr that I have just read is the one by Ruth Moore. Quite good, I thought. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1967/06/11 (#03) |
other[x] by Merton |
Note: These "rites", suitably adjusted to fit modern man in his contemporary situation and in his |
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["Rites for the Extrusion of a Leper" by Thomas Merton - first page (note insert) copied which has Merton's handwritten corrections and handwritten title]
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| 11. |
1967/06/13 |
TLS to Merton |
You should not have sent us anything half so good. It bites deep, the "Rites for the Extrusion of |
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| 12. |
1967/08/23? |
TLS to Merton |
Hier ist die verboten Dichtung. Zuk's cello stradivario, the Rhodesian Mr Montgomery's |
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«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1967/08/27 (#01) |
TAL[c] from Merton |
Many thanks for the Dichtung all full of Wahrheit, Schonheit, Gemutlichkeit, and other keits. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1967/08/27 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for the Dichtung all full of Wahrheit, Schonheit, Gemutlichkeit, and other keits. |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1967/08/29 |
TLS to Merton |
Here's the Prologue to the Rites, copied ad litteram except for a comma inserted after |
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«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1967/08/30 |
TLS to Merton |
A medievalist I caught on the wing today says that "long-hanjed" derives - it seems to him - from |
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| 17. |
1967/11/04 |
TLS to Merton |
I hope the hermitry is snug tonight, king snake and all. I came across the "Day of a Stranger" this |
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«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1967/12/28 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
I'vebeen [sic] lost and left behind by all the letters. This is to say I liked (way back) your |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1967/12/28 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
I'vebeen [sic] lost and left behind by all the letters. This is to say I liked (way back) your |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1968/01/08 |
TALS to Merton |
I'm just back from visiting my mother, sister, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles in South |
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| 21. |
1968/03/02 (#01) |
TN[x] from Merton |
Herakleitos got crowded out of this one but maybe later. Thanks for the addresses. Keep me in mind |
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[in Laughlin correspondence in the publishing files of David Cooper - likely copied from a carbon sent to James Laughlin]
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| 22. |
1968/03/02 (#02) |
TL[x] from Merton |
Herakleitos got crowded out of this one but maybe later. Thanks for the addresses. Keep me in mind |
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| 23. |
1968/03/10 |
TLS to Merton |
Thank you for so kindly sending MONKS POND - it's a lovely magazine. "North' is solid work: |
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| 24. |
1968/03/11 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Here at last is the magazine. I am getting much more material than I anticipated and I doubt that |
✓ |
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| 25. |
1968/03/11 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Here at last is the magazine. I am getting much more material than I anticipated and I doubt that |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 26. |
1968/03/11 (#03) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Here at last is the magazine. I am getting much more material than I anticipated and I doubt that |
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[two clippings which could be either enclosures of items kept by Davenport with his last letter from Merton - a newspaper article from the Louisville Courier-Journal, "New Abbot, 36, Is Installed At Gethsemani"; and "books by Thomas Merton - Fr. Louis ocso" (list of books and prices)]
«detailed view» |
| 27. |
1973/07/10 |
TLS to Center from Davenport, Guy |
Yes, with Prof. Kramer and the Twayne Series. He won't find anything to interest him. La Shelley |
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«detailed view» |
| 28. |
1973/11/30 |
TLS[x] from Center to Davenport, Guy |
Mr. Victor Kramer at Georgia State University has requested permission to look at your |
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«detailed view» |
| 29. |
1973/12/03 |
HNS |
Permission rec. by TO'C via [...] 12/3/73 to show - understands the |
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«detailed view» |
| 30. |
1973/12/05 |
TAL[c] from Center to Davenport, Guy |
Info, please - what is date of birthday of Mary Godwin Shelley and feast day of St. Winfried called |
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«detailed view» |
| 31. |
1989/10/22 |
TLS to Cooper, David |
I've kept putting off going through ancient files (my sense of orderliness is more apparent than |
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[copy from Cooper file / original kept here and copy in file] whereabouts of letters from Merton
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