Leilani Bentley, at the time of writing, was composing a freshman English class paper on a comparison between Merton and Dag Hammarskjold on the topic of contemplation and peace. He writes from Mulliken, Michigan.
Iris Weiss Bennett was the widow of Merton's guardian in England, Dr. Tom Izod Bennett. Communication between the Bennett's and Merton was few and far between after Merton left Cambridge.
A student of Sr. Marialein Lorenz in Mobile, Alabama, Gloria Sylvester Bennett was part of the class who sent Merton some ordination gifts. She sends a book by her husband, Lerone Bennett, «Confrontation: Black and White». (Source: «The Road to Joy», p. 341.)
Fr. Benedict is a Trappist monk from the Abbey of Our Lady of New Melleray in Dubuque, Iowa.
Teris Benaudes is writing from Lima, Peru.
Lee Archer Belford is writing from the School of Education at New York University.
John Beecher was a poet whose works often expressed social concerns such as civil rights, non-violence, and workers' rights. During the 1960's, his work on the publication «Ramparts» got him dubbed a "Communist" by Governor George Wallace of Alabama, which Beecher claimed was an "honor". He would return to Alabama, where he claimed the KKK wanted him dead, in 1966 to serve as a visiting professor at Miles College, a traditionally black institution. He and his wife Barbara were received back to the Catholic Church in 1965, and he describes the changes in the Church in Birmingham since his boyhood days there. He and Barbara were also art printers, and Merton approached them to do specialty additions of some of his work.
All files under “Beecher, John”.
Dorothy Beck was the author of some Zen stories and poems that Merton published in «Monks Pond». At the time of writing, she was working the in the Archives Department at Dartmouth College.
Fr. Jean Marie Beaurin is writing on behalf of Les Croisés de Notre Dame in Paris.
Fr. R. J. Batten was a Dominican priest writing from Wahroonga, New South Wales.
The Rev. Harvey Bates was Co-Chaplain for the United Campus Christian Fellowship at Syracuse University in New York.
Robert Batastini is writing as Vice-President of the Gregorian Institute of America in Chicago, Illinois.
María Luisa Bastos is writing on behalf of the Argentinean magazine «Sur» ("the South"), founded by Victoria Ocampo.
Fr. Giulio Basetti-Sani is first writing from Via Coeli Home for Aged and Infirm Priest in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Later, he writes from the Friary at St. Bonaventure University in New York. He had written an article of interest to Merton about Islam and Jerusalem.
At the time of correspondence with Merton, Jacques Barzun was serving as Provost of Merton's alma mater, Columbia University. In a letter to the Merton Center in 1971, Barzun mentions that Merton was a friend and one-time student.
At the time of writing, Robert Barton was working on a dissertation about "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and had begun as an instructor at Rutgers University.
Leopoldo José Bartolomé was a professor of anthropology at the Universidad Nacional de Misiones in Argentina. He was the author of a book of poetry, «El ojo del can», which he inscribed and sent to Merton in 1965.
Elizabeth Bartelme was a publishing agent for Macmillan. She seemed to know some acquaintances of Merton's, such as Philip and Dan Berrigan and Ed Rice, and keep him informed of what was happening with them.
This is likely the same Marion Barry who would later become a long-time mayor of Washington, D.C.
Fr. Colman Barry is writing as Editor of the «American Benedictine Review» (American Benedictine Academy) and involved with the Liturgical Press at Collegeville, Minnesota. He was later to be president of St. John's University.
Ernest Barr was an author writing to Merton from Toronto.
Roger Barnard is writing as Features Editor for the publication «Peace News» from London.
Sr. Mary Barbara is writing from St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Sr. Mary Baptist is writing from the Incarnate Word Convent in Bellaire, Texas.
Anthony L. Bannon was an editorial staff writer for «Magnificat», the newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York.
Sr. Elaine Michael Bane was in charge of a group of six Franciscan Sisters from Allegany, New York, in "ritiro", or living a cloistered life of contemplation.
Shojun Bando is writing as the assistant at the Eastern Buddhist Society at Otani University in Kyoto, Japan.
Dom John Eudes Bamberger stepped down as abbot of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Genesee in 2001. He came to Gethsemani in 1951 after having read «The Seven Storey Mountain» in the navy. He was sent to Washington, D.C., for studies in the psychiatric field and later helped Merton and Fr. Matthew Kelty in screening new applicants to the novitiate. (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, pp. 22-23).
Hans Urs von Balthasar was a Catholic theologian from Switzerland. He was the author of over 60 books, which included theology, philosophy and spirituality. He is most famous for his work entitled «Herrlichkeit». (Source: "Balthasar, Hans Urs von." Biography from Chambers Biographical Dictionary. 1997. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 8 Aug. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
James Thomas Baker, at the time of writing, was a graduate student in humanities at Florida State University. He was writing an interdisciplinary dissertation about Merton in literature, the arts, and religion (see "Related Information" below). Baker first came to know of Merton's writings while a student of Glenn Hinson at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
Sr. Mary Julian Baird is writing as a staff editor of the New Catholic Encyclopedia in Washington, D.C.
J. Martin Bailey was writing as editor of the United Church Herald, the journal of the United Church of Christ.
John Bagguley and Cecil Woolf were editors of the book «Authors Take Sides on Vietnam». The book asked a range of authors to address the following questions: "Are you for, or against, the intervention of the United States in Vietnam?"; and "How, in your opinion, should the conflict in Vietnam be resolved?". Other authors in the volume included: W. H. Auden; William F. Buckley, Jr.; William S. Burroughs; Lawrence Ferlinghetti; and Allen Ginsberg. The book was modeled after «Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War», published in 1937, and compiled by Nancy Cunard. Woolf and Bagguley write to Merton from London.
Betsi Baeten was in eighth grade from West de Pere, Wisconsin, when she wrote to Merton. She was seeking some words for him on civil rights as she was serving as moderator for a group presenting this issue at a P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association) meeting.
Stefan Baciu was a poet and professor of romance languages whose works include surveys of Latin American surrealistic poetry and themes of communism in poetry. He was editor of the literary magazine, «MELE». During his time of correspondence with Merton, he is first in Seattle and later in Honolulu.
Fr. Pierre Babin, O.M.I. is writing as director of "Monde et Foi: Collection Internationale de Catéchèse pour Jeunes".
Living in Karachi, Pakistan, Abdul Aziz can be attributed with sparking Merton's first interest in Sufism, an interest later shared with his novices at Gethsemani. Beginning their correspondence in late 1960, Merton and Aziz would exchange books and ideas. Aziz was introduced to Merton's work through Louis Massignon, a mutual friend. An important insight from these letters is Merton's response to Aziz's request for a description of his prayer life.
Waddell Austin was Managing Editor of Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards in Solana Beach, California, at the time of this correspondence.
