Lynn Szabo M.A.

Associate Professor of English; English Stream Co-ordinator, M.A. in Humanities

Department: English; MAIH

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Area of Expertise: American literature; Thomas Merton's Poetics; Canadian women poets; Creative Writing; Genre studies; Literature & Spirituality; Christian mysticism.

Education: B.A. (Hons.) (University of Saskatchewan); M.A. English (University of British Columbia).

Prof. Lynn Szabo is a distinguished scholar of the poet, mystic, and political activist Thomas Merton, an emerging, significant figure in twentieth century American literary studies. She is the editor of the first comprehensive selection of Merton’s poetry, In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton. As an Americanist, her other recent work includes a study of the nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson. She is a published poet and teaches creative writing courses in the department.

Selected publications

  • In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton. Lynn R. Szabo, ed. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 2005.
  • "Hiding the Ace of Freedoms: Thomas Merton's 'Cables to the Ace.'" The Merton Annual 15 (Winter 2002): 203-221.
  • "Thomas Merton: A Man for our Times." Canadian Theological Review 20 (Fall 2001): 2-15.
  • "The Sound of Sheer Silence: A Study in the Poetics of Thomas Merton." The Merton Annual 13 (2000): 204-13.

Notable accomplishments and experiences

  • General editor of Thomas Merton's poetry. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (1999-2003). Shannon Fellowship.
  • Board of Directors. International Thomas Merton Society
  • Visiting professor. Humanities Institute. Simon Fraser University. (2002)
  • Convenor. International Scholar's Retreats. International Thomas Merton Society. Abbey of Gethsemani (Kentucky)
  • Reviewer. Canadian Book Review Annual.

Current areas of scholarly interest

Christian mysticism in the American literary tradition

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Thomas Merton Society of Canada
  • International Thomas Merton Society
  • The Merton Annual (Editorial Board)
  • Association of Canadian Teachers of University English