merton a collective fan?

good question. if you remember 7 storey mountain, he was really into jazz before he had his conversion. he talks highly about gregorian chant and this kind of music, but i also read that later in his life when he would leave the monastery to meet other religious leaders and zen masters he would take this chance to hit the jazz clubs.

now, you might say that animal collective isn't jazz, but merton constantly sought out and showed a special love for the heterodox (when it had great value), which he constantly presented brilliantly in its special freshness. merton had the flexibility of mind to appreciate and put in its place anything of value, whether it be orthodox or something in the avante garde. i think you can safely say that jazz was the avante garde of that time. whether we enjoy the music or not, we know that there is something in jazz that will last and stand the test of time, even though it was avante garde at the time (which was not long ago). if there is something of value to be grasped in animal collective's rich freshness, there is no crime in its enjoyment. i think merton especially would not argue with this, and would have the daring intellect and imagination to give it a shot.