Dana, Doris

• Dana, Doris, 1920-2006

• Doris Dana

Doris Dana writes to Merton from New York and from her travels to France. Dana was the long-time companion of poet, educator, feminist, Nobel laureate and Chilean diplomat, Gabriela Mistral (pen name of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, 1889-1957). Dana translated and edited some of Mistral's poems. Dana seemed to be a mutual friend with Merton of both John Howard Griffin and Jacques Maritain. She visited Merton in early January of 1967, when she introduced Merton to the story of Ishi and sparked some of Merton's interest in Native Americans; and then visited him again in late October of 1967, when they traveled to Lexington together to visit Victor and Carolyn Hammer and John Jacob Niles.