The Catholic Library World (CLW) Editorial Committee has selected Paul M. Pearson, Director and Archivist at the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, to receive the John Brubaker Memorial Award for the best article appearing in CLW for 2016-2017.

His article, “The Seven Storey Goldmine: The Extraordinary Success of Thomas Merton’s Autobiography,” which appeared in the March 2017 issue, describes the fascinating backstory to the publication of The Seven Storey Mountain, Merton’s classic spiritual autobiography, in 1948. It is a well-researched study of the maturation of a surprise success in the postwar American book publishing industry. The Brubaker Award is presented annually by the committee, to recognize an outstanding work of literary merit published in Catholic Library World during the previous year.