Items

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  Journal for the Protection of All Beings, No. 1 (1961), cover and contents

  The first piece in the first issue of the journal is Thomas Merton's poem, "Chant To Be Used In Processions Around a Site With Furnaces." Other contributions by: Bertrand Russell, Gary Snyder, Kay Johnson, Antonin Artaud, Gregory Corso, William Burroughs (interviewed), Albert Camus, Michael McClure, James Mitchell, David Meltzer, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Duncan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Norman Mailer.
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  A page from the final manuscript of the book The Climate of Monastic Prayer (more widely known as Contemplative Prayer) written by Thomas Merton and published posthumously. The page begins Chapter XV in the manuscript and in the published edition.

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  Thomas Merton's handwritten notes on the book La philosophie bantoue (Paris, Présence africaine [1961]) by Fr. Placides Temples.

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  Authentics (certificates of authenticity for relics) for two relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D.) in Thomas Merton's possession

  Two certificates for relics kept by Thomas Merton of St. Thérese of Lisieux, one relic from her bone and one of dust from her body.
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  Reading notes by Thomas Merton (pages 18-19 from Reading Notebook 37) for Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks.

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  Thomas Merton's notes on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Bonhoeffer's critique of medieval monasticism

  Notes on the following books by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethik ("Ethics") and Widerstand und Ergebung (his letters and papers from prison).
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  "Graph of my work. Feb. 6, 1967." Thomas Merton's evaluation of his own books.

  Thomas Merton rates his published books in varying degrees from "Awful" to "Best."
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  Dialog with Buddhism, Thomas Merton's notes from Darjeeling, November 22, 1968

  One page of handwritten notes by Thomas Merton on dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism. He was staying in late November of 1968 in Darjeeling, India, and had met that month with Buddhist spiritual leaders including Chatral Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama.
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  Lists of books by Thomas Merton as of 1966

  May have accompanied Merton's curriculum vitae of 1967 which references a list of books he had written. On the annotated copy, Merton adds a note designating where he wrote certain works, e.g., vault, hermitage, novitiate, St. John's room, etc.
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  Curriculum Vitae, 1967

  Thomas Merton's curriculum vitae from 1967.