<p>The second volume of Thomas Merton''s "gusty, passionate journals" (Thomas Moore) chronicles Merton''s advancements to priesthood and emergence as a bestselling author with the surprise success of his autobiography, <em>The Seven Storey Mountain.</em> Spanning an eleven-year period, <em>Entering the Silence</em> reflects Merton''s struggle to balance his vocation to solitude with the budding literary career that would soon established him as one of the most important spiritual writers of our century.</p>