Six Letters 1958-1960 Foreword by Naomi Burton Stone. Introduction by Lydia Pasternak Slater.
The King Library Press/University of Kentucky, 1973. Limited edition. #13/150 copies. Printed paper-covered boards. Some pages unopened. Small patch rubbing inside lower spine, fine. Item #214539
Letters have the marvelous capacity to transcend the limits of time and space, at the same time offering insight into the individual experiences of our daily lives. After reading "Doctor Zhivago" Merton was compelled to begin a brief but important dialogue with Pasternak, not the first time he reached out beyond the solitary confines of the Abbey of Gethsemani, to share his belief in the necessity for an ongoing spiritual conversation with others. These 6 letters, 3 from Merton and 3 from Pasternak, who responded in English, began in 1958, the year Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize, only to subsequently reject it because of Soviet Union concerns. It was perhaps this that provoked Merton to connect in an intimate way, defying the stalemate of countries, to engage in an open and courageous dialogue between individuals. "The simple and human dialogue with Pasternak...is to me worth thousands of sermons and radio speeches."
Price: $300.00