File 137 - Porter, Beth

4.5 cm of textual records
1 photograph : b&w ; 12.5 x 17.5 cm

File consists of correspondence from Beth Porter to Henri Nouwen regarding L’Arche Daybreak and the Building Interfaith Understanding project; copies of Porter’s writing and course assignments; and correspondence and meeting notes regarding Porter’s anthology Befriending Life. Included in the file are copies of letters Porter wrote to others, including Nathan Ball, and forwarded to Nouwen; a copy of an invitation for a Justice Seeking Faith event sent to Porter; drafts and copies of letters inviting people to contribute essays for use in Befriending Life; a proposal by Porter to take a six-month leave to write and edit; Health Communications, Inc. Submission Guidelines; lists of potential and confirmed Befriending Life contributors; copies of project updates sent to contributors; and an email from Porter to Trace Murphy regarding Doubleday’s agreement to publish Befriending Life and how to prepare the manuscript for publication.

Second file folder consists of correspondence and reference material regarding the development and publication of Beth Porter’s anthology Befriending Life: Encounters with Henri Nouwen. Included are copies of letters from Porter and Sue Mosteller inviting people to contribute essays for use in Befriending Life; a letter and potential cover art from Linda Punch at Counterpunch; a letter from Health Communications Inc. declining to publish the book; photocopies of photos for use in the book accompanied by notes about their sequencing and the names of people in the photos; correspondence regarding permissions from contributors, for the use of photographs and for the quotation of Nouwen’s work; a copy of the Contributor’s Agreement used for the project; a proposed biographical sketch for Nouwen; and a proof of the final Befriending Life cover.

Third file folder consists of correspondence, meeting notes and reference material in regards to the development, publication and editing of Beth Porter’s anthology Befriending Life. Included are outlines and drafts of contributor invitation letters; lists of potential contributors and their contact information; a copy of Beth Porter’s curriculum vitae; an agenda and reference material regarding a meeting with Philip Coulter; copies of letters sent to potential contributors by Sue Mosteller and follow up letters sent to participating contributors by Beth Porter; a copy of “Merton and Nouwen as Brothers” by Michael J. Christensen presented at a Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen: Living with God in Modern American symposium on January 29, 2000; the tentative order of anthology entries and titles; an invoice from Counterpunch book for cover design work; responses to Beth Porter’s questions about preparing the manuscript for publication from Trace Murphy at Doubleday; copies of letters sent by Maureen Wright to various publisher’s requesting permission to use Nouwen quotes in Befriending Life; and drafts of essay contributions. Also in the file is an undated newspaper clipping from the Toronto Star of Beth Porter’s article “What kind of society do we want?”; a fax to Sue Mosteller from Maggie Graham regarding L’Arche Daybreak’s publications catalogue; and a photograph of Henri Nouwen with Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in April 1996.

File is restricted.

File contains Nouwen’s personal correspondence.
A response from Murphy, responding to Porter’s questions, appears in former file number 97-186.
Photograph has inscription by Nouwen on verso in black pen: Met Kardinaal Joseph Bernardin Chicago 22 April ’96.

Added by T Wong, 17 March 2021