Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax

Best known for his friendship with famed 20th century Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton, Robert Lax was an influential writer and inspirational figure in his own right. Driven by a deep desire to be faithful to both God and his art, Lax roamed restlessly for decades, working for The New Yorker and Time, writing scripts in Hollywood, traveling with the circus, and editing a literary journal in Paris, before settling among simple fishermen and sponge divers on a remote Greek island, where he finally felt at home.In Pure Act, author Michael McGregor, who knew Lax for fifteen years, draws from a wide range of unpublished writings and little-known published works to reconstruct Lax’s inner and outer life, his private struggles and public triumphs. This intimate biography—fifteen years in the making—presents a comprehensive view of the poet’s origins, creative ideas, spiritual beliefs, journeys, and relationships. The artful interweaving of information from people who knew Lax at Columbia University and in Olean, New York City, and Europe, adds a depth of understanding not previously available. And Pure Act offers rare insight into why Lax fled his beloved island of Kalymnos, amid rumors of spying, during Greece’s Cyprus crisis.Seamlessly incorporating in-depth research, McGregor’s exploration of the relationship between Lax’s life and his writing greatly enhances the value of this insightful study. His examination of the concept of “pure act” is central to understanding the link between Lax’s poetics and his pursuit of a true life. Throughout its pages, Pure Act reveals a man endeavoring to simplify his life in the same way he was simplifying his poetry. A model of creative purity, Robert Lax’s entire life was centered on coming to know his authentic self and his relationship with his Creator, creation, and humanity.