The writings of Thomas Merton spoke to me when I was in college. I borrowed the Seven Story Mountain from the library and kept it for a year. When I returned it, it had been a companion in dark times, and his autobiography about how he transformed from an aimless student to a Trappist monk affected me deeply. The overdue fines cost me over $100, and I repaid them by reshelving books. Best non-$100 I’ve ever spent.
