Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton (1915–1968) was born in Prades, France, and spent his childhood in England, France, and the United States. He studied philosophy, art history, and literature. Merton became a Trappist monk at a monastery in Kentucky and wrote more than sixty books. As a poet and author, he also engaged with social issues and the world’s religions. He pursued photography and painting as well; during the 1960s he created abstract calligraphies. He died in an accident in 1968.