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.
Fr. Gervasius Augustinius is writing from an Augustinian Monastery in Tanzania.
Sr. Marie Augustin is writing from a Trappistine monastery in Laval, France.
David Aud is writing as a member of the Student Senate at St. Bonaventure University and is the son of Jim Aud, who was an English student of Merton's in the 1940's.
Former monk of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. Previously listed under Fr. Anselm, O.C.S.O. (updated 2016).
Rubén Astudillo is writing from Ecuador on behalf of the publication «El Mercurio».
Yanna Asch is writing on behalf of the School Department of the publisher Harcourt, Brace.
Thérèse Arrés was from an area in the south of France and in the eastern Pyrenees, not far from Merton's birthplace of Prades.
Johann Christoph Arnold (or John C. Arnold) is writing on behalf of the Plough Publishing House, affiliated with the Society of Brothers. The Society of Brothers is a group with Anabaptist roots and is often associated with the Hutterites and Bruderhof colonies.
At the time of writing, Bonnie Armstrong handled foreign rights for the publisher New Directions.
Robert K. Argentieri worked for Carroll, Kelly and Murphy, Counselors at Law, from Providence, RI, at time of writing.
Evora Arca de Sardiña was born in Cuba, attended high school in New York, and returned to Cuba in 1950. In Cuba, she was involved in social work the poor. When Castro came to power in 1959, she fled to the United States with her husband and her five sons and settled in Miami. Her husband, Eugenio, was part of the CIA-trained anti-Castro assault force captured at the Bay of Pigs. (Source: «Witness to Freedom».)
Abdol Reza Arasteh was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1927. He had studied both Eastern and Western psychology and seemed to bridge Merton's earlier interest in psychology with his later interest in Sufism, Zen and other eastern traditions. He lived a number of years in the United States and became a citizen in 1976. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 40-41.)
At the time of writing, John Appleton was Senior Editor of «The Saturday Evening Post».
Karen Apple wrote was a 16-year-old student at a Catholic high school. She writes from Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Hildebrand Cardinal Antoniutti is writing on behalf of the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes in Rome.
Br. Antoninus, who later went back to his birth name of William Everson, was a Californian poet associated with the San Francisco Renaissance and Beat movements, publishing under both his secular and religious names. He joined the Dominican Order in 1951 after a second failed marriage and remained a religious brother through his correspondence with Merton. In 1969, he left the Dominicans to enter a third marriage. He founded Lime Kiln Press and taught at University of California, Santa Cruz, which not only allowed him to continue his poetry, but also made him known as a master printer. (Sources: Nelson, Cary [ed]. An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to the «Anthology of Modern American Poetry». Oxford University Press, 2000. ‹http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/everson/about.htm›.)
Sr. Mary Antonella is was an administrator of the St. Joseph Infirmary in Louisville at the time of writing.
Rita (Kenter) Anton is an author who writes to Merton from Oak Park, Illinois. She was a mutual friend of Merton's literary agent, Naomi Burton Stone.
Merton notes on copy of letter that Fr. Antoine is a Canadian Trappist.
Reverend Mother Angela was abbess of the Trappist nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts
Wife of, and co-author with, Edward Deming Andrews in many books about the Shakers.
Edward Deming Andrews was a foremost authority on the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or the Shakers. As Merton became exposed to the remains of the community at Pleasant Hill, he sought out Andrews' expertise. After Edward's death, Merton corresponded with his wife, Faith (see "Andrews, Faith Elizabeth" file). (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love».)
Jaime Andrade was an Ecuadorian sculptor and engraver from Quito. Merton commissioned him to do a statue of the Virgin Mary and child Jesus in dark wood for the novitiate library.
Fr. Kevin Anderson was a Trappist monk of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts.
James Bruce Anderson served as editor for a journal of poetry called the "Charlatan" published by the Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City.
Br. Zachary Amps was a monk of Gethsemani Abbey and, among his responsibilities, was to mail complementary copies of Merton's books to various people.
Susan Allman was with the publicity department of Seabury Press in New York.
