Dylan, Merton, and Maritain

Joseph Frank closes his review of two recent books on Maritain and early 20th century Catholicism with this charming scene: “Maritain returned for a last visit to the United States in 1966 to say farewell to old friends and to visit the grave of his sister-in-law Vera buried in Princeton. At the same time he went to see others, one of whom was the poet and monk Thomas Merton. The latter regaled him with recordings of Bob Dylan, ‘whom he [Merton] considers a great poet, a modern Villon. What a strange scene it is,’ writes the friend accompanying Maritain, ‘listing in the monstery of Gethsemani to the hard and expressive voice of a young rebel poet.’”