Newswise — A selection of never-before published Thomas Merton poetry is now available to the reading public, thanks to Trinity Western University professor, Lynn Szabo. Launched Thursday June 2 at the Vancouver Public Library, Szabo's new book, "In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton," is considered the first full collection of Merton's work. Among the previously published poems, the book consists of a selection of poetry that up until now was only available to a small, select group.
A professor of American literature at TWU and a Merton expert, Szabo has studied exclusive archives and published numerous papers on the forward-thinking, socially conscience cloistered monk. For this book, Szabo was hand-picked by Merton's publishers and given the distinction of editor for this first full collection of Merton's work.
"I tried to give an overview of his wide-ranging genius," says Szabo who was commissioned by Merton's publishers in 2002. The book is divided into portions of Merton's poetry that cover his accounts and critiques of travel, daily life, prayer, and politics. More notably, the book includes a selection of previously unpublished love poems.
"They wanted something comprehensive and manageable," says Szabo. "Previous publications of his writings hadn't been reviewed by a literary scholar."
Merton, an ordained monk from the Cisterian Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky with an MA from Columbia University, was a prominent critical voice in the sixties often questioning political, racial and religious issues. "He developed a devoted readership," says Szabo. "He published over 70 books and, with permission from his abbey, traveled widely with his teachings."
But much of Merton's popularity came from his thoughts on spirituality. "Merton was an artist, a musician, a linguist. But he's also a well-known spiritual writer. Some critics have gone so far as to say Merton's journals are to the 20th century what St. Augustine's writings have been to the past."
In 1997, Szabo was designated a Shannon Fellow by the International Thomas Merton Society. Since then, she has conducted extensive research in the Merton collection at Columbia University as well at the Abbey of Gethsemani, spending time with manuscripts and collections of more than three thousand poems written by Merton. "I've given 8 years to this project," says Szabo. "" It's rewarding to see it in print."
Trinity Western University, located in Langley, B.C., is a not-for-profit Christian liberal arts university enrolling over 3,500 students this year. With a broad based, liberal arts and sciences curriculum, the University offers undergraduate degrees in 38 major areas of study ranging from business, education and computer science to biology and nursing, and 13 other graduate degrees including counselling psychology, theology and leadership.
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