Thomas Merton (1915-1968) - Trappist monk, one of the most significant and famous English-language spiritual writers of the 20th century. He wrote his essay on loneliness at the same time as his best books. In it, he does not so much justify Christian hermits as write about the loneliness inherent in everyone, about its hardships and value. Essay - “the cry of a bird on the reefs or - a cry after humanity, which is running as fast as it can from the loneliness that invigorates the soul, driven by ever more compelling entertainment.