Novelist looks at writings, influence of Trappist monk Thomas Merton

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Perhaps best known for her novels and short stories, Barnard College English professor and New York state writer -- a title bestowed in 2008 by retiring Gov. Eliot Spitzer -- Mary Gordon here turns her attention to Trappist monk, author, poet and social critic Father Thomas Merton.

Women's stories offer concrete tips for daughters of God

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Women are all about stories. We grow in faith through conversations and mutual sharing. Three recent books aim to fill a gap in publishers' catalogs: books about feminine spirituality.

In previous decades, little was available for Catholic women, who are pressured by modern values, objectified, unequally paid, judged by externals, and tempted to unhealthy, unbalanced lives.