Fw: Thomas Merton, Poet

From: Pearson, Dr. Paul <pmpearson@bellarmine.edu>
To: Pearson, Dr. Paul <pmpearson@bellarmine.edu>
Subject: Thomas Merton, Poet
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007 12:05:55 -0400

NOTE: Problems with motels during the time of the conference. See end of
Post---

In the Dark Before Dawn:

Thomas Merton, Poet

A conference on the poetry of Thomas Merton

19th and 20th October 2007

Thomas Merton the poet can all too easily be overlooked yet, Merton's
first published book was a collection of poems, Thirty Poems, and two
more volumes (A Man in the Divided Sea and Figures for an Apocalypse)
were to be published before his autobiography would shoot him to fame in
1948.

Merton continued to write poetry for the rest of his life publishing a
total of eight volumes of poetry during his life, with two more
published shortly after his death and his Collected Poems, a massive
tome of over 1,000 pages, published in 1977. A new selection of his
poems: In the Dark Before Dawn, edited by Lynn Szabo, was published in
2005.

To continue exploring this important aspect of the life and thought of
Thomas Merton the Merton Center at Bellarmine University is sponsoring a
conference to explore Thomas Merton's poetry.

This conference will bring together a renowned group of international
speakers who are experts on his poetry and have published widely, as
well as a panel of poets who knew Thomas Merton.

Special registration rate of $65 ($50 students) for books made by
October 12th. ($85 after October 12th)

This fee includes registration, refreshments and lunch and dinner on
October 20th.

Speakers include:

Michael Higgins author of Heretic Blood: The Spiritual Geography of
Thomas Merton.

George A. Kilcourse author of Ace of Freedoms: Thomas Merton's Christ
and Flannery O'Connor's Religious Imagination: A World With Everything
Off Balance.

Ross Labrie author of The Art of Thomas Merton (1979) and Thomas Merton
and the Inclusive Imagination (2001) as well as The Catholic Imagination
in American Literature and The Writings of Daniel Berrigan.

Patrick F. O'Connell co-author of The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia and
editor of Cassian and the Fathers (2005) and Pre-Benedictine Monasticism
and The Merton Seasonal.

Lynn Szabo who edited the new selection of Merton's poetry, In the Dark
Before Dawn: New Selected Poems.

Bonnie Thurston editor of Thomas Merton and Buddhism.

The Panel of Poets includes:

Frederick Smock (chair) author of Pax Intrantibus: A Meditation on the
Poetry of Thomas Merton.

Jonathan Greene author of over twenty books, most recently On the Banks
of Monks Pond: The Thomas Merton/Jonathan Greene Correspondence.

Paul Quenon, OCSO, who has published several books of poetry and is an
editor of Monkscript: Literature, Arts and Spirituality.

Ron Seitz author of Song for Nobody: A Memory Vision of Thomas Merton.

For Further Information or to Register:

Thomas Merton Center

Bellarmine University

2001 Newburg Road

Louisville KY 40205

502 452 8177 / 8187

www.merton.org/poetry

* For some reason there seems to be very little motel accommodation
available in Louisville at the time of the conference. However, Laws
Lodge, the conference/retreat center at Louisville Seminary does have
rooms available, all with private facilities. The rate is $58 a night,
plus tax. This is a special rate for the Merton Conference and you would
need to mention this when booking. Bookings can be made at: 502 992
0220.

Further information about Laws Lodge can be found on the web at:

http://www.lpts.edu/Rentals/LawsLodge/

##########################

Dr Paul M Pearson.
Director and Archivist,
Thomas Merton Center,
Bellarmine University,
2001 Newburg Road,
Louisville, KY. 40205.

Tel: 502 452 8177.
Cell: 502 693 1937.
Fax: 502 452 8452.

www.merton.org