Thomas Merton Signed First Edn No Man Is An Island Rare Start Price USD 1,599.95 Current Price USD 1,599.95 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, September 18, 2008 End Time Saturday, October 18, 2008 Location San Diego, CA See more about 'Thomas Merton Signed First Edn No Man Is An Island Rare' Description Rare Signed First Edition, Thomas Merton's No Man Is An Island, With an Inscription from Merton's Abbot at Abbey of Gethsemani, Dom Fox You could pay $3,498 at By The Way Books, in Waukee, Iowa, for a signed mimeographed manuscript of Merton's Cold War Letters, or $2,500 at Brainerd F. Phillipson Rare Books Books in Holliston, Massachusetts, for a signed 10-page typed manuscript of Merton's A Letter to Pablo Antonio Cuadra. We couldn't find offered for sale any other signed first editions of Merton's classic No Man Is an Island - and no other books with both Merton's and Abbot James Fox's signature: No Man Is An Island, by Thomas Merton (NY: Harcourt, Brace & Co. 1955), signed by author and his religious superior, Abbot James Fox, first edition (stated), 5 3/8" x 8 1/2" tall blue cloth hardbound in publisher's unclipped dust jacket (preserved in a Brodart archival sleeve), white lettering to spine, xxiii, 264pp. Soiling, rubbing and edgewear to covers and a couple of pages with minor staining. But otherwise, a very good+ book - clean, bright and tight - in a dust jacket with some soiling and chipping but otherwise good condition About This Signed First Edition & Dom James Fox: This first edition of No Man Is An Island was signed by both Merton and the man who was then his Abbot in their monestery, the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, Dom James Fox. The book was likely signed in the year of its issue, 1955, and was inscribed as a gift from Fox to well-known political writer Dan D. Nimmo (who died in 2004). Merton signed it in his customary fashion: with a cross, and then his religious name, "Fr. M. Louis." Dom Fox inscribed the book to Nimmo and signed in his customary way, stamping it "all for Jesus thru Mary with a smile." There is at least one other example of a Merton first edition with both his signature and that of Dom Fox - see, e.g., Merton book collector Albert Romkema's web site, which has an image from a copy of Merton's Figures for an Apocalypse signed by both Merton (Fr. M. Louis) and Fox using the same format (and stamp). But no copies of Merton books with his and Fox's signature were found available for sale online in searches over the past several years - and no signed copies of No Man Is An Island have appeared online over the past several years either. A graduate of Harvard Business School prior to entering Gethsemani, Dom James Fox had a keen business sense, and helped Gethsemani support itself financially through mechanization of the farm and through establishment of a mail order cheese and bourbon fruit cake business. Merton was not a fan of this mechanization or the cheese business, and he had other philosophical differences with Fox. Although much has been written about their rocky relationship at times, Fox went out of his way to ensure that Merton had greater solitude in his later years, a decision which likely kept Merton at Gethsemani. He had enough faith in Merton to appoint him as his novice master and as Fox's personal confessor. Fox would eventually step down as abbot in 1967 to pursue a life as a hermit as Merton had done. About No Man Is An Island: After his best known work, The Seven Storey Mountain - his early spiritual autobiography - among writer Thomas Merton's huge body of work a few titles stand out above the rest, and No Man Is An Island is certainly one of them. Among Merton's very best books, it has been continuously in print since its issue more than a half-century ago. Merton probably completed the manuscript to No Man is an Island sometime in 1954, and it was published March 24, 1955. In it, sixteen topics are discussed, all related to the life of the spirit. The text has a lyric quality. It abounds in aphorisms - clear, succinct and challenging: "May God preserve me from the love of a friend who will never dare to rebuke me. May he preserve me from the friend who seeks to do nothing but change and correct me."   "Renunciation is not an end in itself; it helps us to use things better."   "The real purpose of asceticism is to disclose the difference between the evil use of created things, which is sin, and their good use, which is virtue."    "There is something in the depths of our being that hungers for wholeness and finality."   "A man of sincerity is less interested in defending the truth than in stating it clearly, for he thinks that if truth be clearly seen it can very well take care of itself."   "The God of peace is never glorified by human violence." About the author: Thomas Merton (31 January 1915 – 10 December 1968) was one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, in the American state of Kentucky, Merton was an acclaimed Catholic spiritual writer, poet, author and social activist. Merton wrote over 60 books, scores of essays and reviews, and is the ongoing subject of many biographies. Merton was also a proponent of inter-religious dialogue, engaging in spiritual dialogues with the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and D. T. Suzuki. His life and career were suddenly cut short at age 53, when he was electrocuted stepping out of his bath. Merton kept journals throughout his stay at Gethsemani. Initially he had felt writing to be at odds with his vocation, worried it would foster a tendency to individuality. Fortunately his superior, Father Abbot Dom Frederic, saw that Merton had a gifted intellect and talent for writing. In 1943 Merton was tasked to translate religious texts and write biographies on the saints for the monastery. Merton approached his new writing assignment with the same fervor and zeal he displayed in the farmyard. On March 19, 1944 Merton made his temporary profession vows and was given the white cowl, black scapular and leather belt. In November 1944 a manuscript Merton had given to friend Robert Lax the previous year was published by James Laughlin at New Directions, a book of poetry titled Thirty Poems. Merton had mixed feelings about the publishing of this work, but Dom Frederic remained resolute that Merton continue writing. New Directions published another poetry collection in 1946 for Merton titled A Man in the Divided Sea, which combined with Thirty Poems attracted some recognition for him. The same year Merton had his manuscript for The Seven Storey Mountain accepted by Harcourt Brace & Company for publishing. The Seven Storey Mountain, Merton’s autobiography, was written during two-hour intervals in the monastery scriptorium as a personal project. By 1947 Merton was more comfortable with his role as writer. On March 19 Merton took his solemn vows, a commitment to live out his life at the monastery. He also began corresponding with a Carthusian at St. Hugh's Charterhouse in Parkminster, England. Merton harbored an appreciation for the Carthusian order since coming to Gethsemani in 1941, and would later come to consider leaving the Cistercians for the Order. On July 4 the Catholic journal Commonweal published an essay by Merton titled "Poetry and the Contemplative Life." In 1948 The Seven Storey Mountain was finally published to critical acclaim, with fan mail to Merton reaching new heights. Merton also published several works for the monastery that year, which were: Guide to Cistercian Life, Cistercian Contemplatives, Figures for an Apocalypse, and The Spirit of Simplicity. Saint Mary's College (Indiana) published a booklet by Merton that year also, titled What Is Contemplation?. Merton also published a wonderful biography that year titled Exile Ends in Glory: The Life of a Trappistine, Mother M. Berchmans, O.C.S.O. Merton’s Father Abbot, Dom Frederic Dunne, died on August 3, 1948 on a trainride to Georgia. Dunne’s passing was painful for Merton, who came to look at the Abbot as a father figure and spiritual mentor. Abbot Dunne was replaced by Dom James Fox on August 15, 1948. Dom Fox, who also signed (and inscribed) the book for sale here, served as abbot of Gethsemani for nearly twenty years, from 1948 through 1968, and he and Merton sometimes locked horns on various issues. Fox was a former U.S. Navy officer, and up to the challenge of dealing with Merton despite Merton's rising importance as a best-selling writer. In October of 1948, Merton discussed with the new Abbot his ongoing attraction to the Carthusian Order, to which Fox responded by assuring Merton that he belonged at Gethsemani. Fox permitted Merton to continue his writing, Merton now having gained substantial recognition outside the monastery. On January 5, 1949 Merton took a train to Louisville and applied for U.S. citizenship. Published that year were Seeds of Contemplation, The Tears of Blind Lions, The Waters of Siloe, and the British edition of The Seven Storey Mountain under the title Elected Silence. On March 19 Merton became a deacon in the Order, and on May 26 (Ascension Thursday) Merton was ordained as a priest, saying his first Mass the following day. In June the monastery celebrated its centenary, for which Merton authored the book Gethsemani Magnificat in commemoration. By November Merton started teaching novices at Gethsemani in mystical theology, a duty he greatly enjoyed. Through subsequent years Merton would author many other books and amassed himself a wide readership. He would come to revise Seeds of Contemplation several times, viewing his early edition as error prone and immature. One's place in society, views on social activism, and various approaches toward contemplative prayer and living became constant themes in his writings. By the 1960s, he had arrived at a broadly human viewpoint, one deeply concerned about the world and issues like peace, racial tolerance, and social equality. He had developed a personal radicalism which had political implications but was not based on ideology, rooted above all in non-violence. He regarded his viewpoint as based on "simplicity" and expressed it as a Christian sensibility. In a letter to a Latin-American Catholic writer, Ernesto Cardenal, Merton wrote: "The world is full of great criminals with enormous power, and they are in a death struggle with each other. It is a huge gang battle, using well-meaning lawyers and policemen and clergymen as their front, controlling papers, means of communication, and enrolling everybody in their armies." (Letter, November 17, 1962, quoted in Monica Furlong's Merton: a Biography, p. 263) Gethsemani benefited greatly from Merton's royalties, and his writings attracted much interest in Catholicism and the Cistercian vocation, an influence which continues. Merton died in Bangkok on 10 December 1968, having touched a poorly grounded electric fan while stepping out of his bath. His body was flown back to Gethsemani where he is buried. Since his death, Merton's influence has continued to grow, and he is considered by many to be an important 20th century Catholic mystic and thinker. Merton's letters and diaries (and, to a lesser extent, the books published during his lifetime) reveal the intensity with which their author focused on social justice issues, including the civil rights movement and proliferation of nuclear arms. Merton blocked publication of his letters and diaries until 25 years after his death. In recognition of his close association with Bellarmine University, the official repository for Merton's archives is the Thomas Merton Center on the Bellarmine campus in Louisville, Kentucky. The Thomas Merton Award, a peace prize, has been awarded since 1972 by the Thomas Merton Center for Peace and Social Justice in Pittsburgh. Shipping - US Postal Service rates are quoted below. Email us for a cost quote before auction close for other desired shipping methods. Paid orders are usually shipped the following business day. We will use postal insurance upon request, at the buyer's cost, but we don't view it as a good value, particularly given how securely your merchandise is packed, and given our rather comprehensive guarantee. Just email us with any questions or concerns, and we promise to respond promptly. Just check our guarantee and the specific remarks in our 100% positive feedback to see why you can bid with confidence.                                 Place a Bid!