# Looking for books by Merlyn Belanger **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054 "2020-09-20T03:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/1 "2020-09-20T03:02:46Z")
I am looking for books by Merlyn (Mel) Belanger. They are: - Retrospect and Prospect Letters to Billy-O Ah, Sweet Mystery The Man Who Invented Christianity \* As far as I know these are the only books he wrote, and I would appreciate it very much if I could own them. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/2 "2020-09-20T04:49:36Z")
It looks like he also wrote On Religious Maturity, published in 1962, 82 pages. available for $4 used from Better World Books (or more in a later reprint at Amazon): ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/3 "2020-09-20T06:15:18Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It looks like he also wrote On Religious Maturity, published in 1962, 82 pages. available for $4 used from Better World Books (or more in a later reprint at Amazon) I don’t know how I missed that one-My grandfather gave it to me to read way back in the early 1970s. Is ordered. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/4 "2020-09-20T11:49:08Z")
For published books, my usual sources are turning up only _On Religious Maturity_. He also did a master’s thesis at Drake University titled _Relativity and religion : the religious implications of the theory of relativity_. The Cowles Library at Drake appears to possess the only copy. It might help to know how you came across these titles. Do you have any other publication details? Are you sure they aren’t periodical articles? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/5 "2020-09-20T14:21:20Z")
Merlyn Belanger was my grandfather, and my sister was his assistant. The list below supports what she told me about his works that she helped transcribed, but _On Religious Maturity_ was published before she was born. > **[Mel Belanger](https://www.librarything.com/author/belangermel)** > > Mel Belanger, author of Retrospect and Prospect, on LibraryThing ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/6 "2020-09-20T14:55:02Z")
I should have thought to look on librarything. I’ve had an account there for ages. All of the holdings for his works at librarything seem to be from a library called tuuclibrary in Tacoma, Washington. I’m guessing that might be the Tahoma Unitarian-Universalist Congregation. Was he affiliated with that church? Might their library hold some of his unpublished manuscripts? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/7 "2020-09-20T14:56:06Z")
I’ll give it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/8 "2020-09-21T01:52:04Z")
The master’s thesis at Drake is probably in the archives there, so contact archives@drake.edu Explain he was your grandfather, and ask the procedures to get a photocopy. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/9 "2020-09-21T02:05:28Z")
I will definitely give it a try. Thank for the advice. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-books-by-merlyn-belanger/921054/10 "2020-09-22T00:46:49Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It looks like he also wrote On Religious Maturity, published in 1962, 82 pages. available for $4 used from Better World Books (or more in a later reprint at Amazon) Well, ordered the book on the 19th, and today I got a reply…from the book?? "Hello Michael, (Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note - it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?) Holy canasta! It’s me… it’s me! I can’t believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I’ve got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can’t believe I’m leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already - the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge - so many memories. I don’t have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it’s time to see the world! I can’t wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol’ brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am? I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I’ve had, I’m ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn’t take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I’ve found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana. But hey, enough about me, I’ve been asked to brief you on a few things:" 😄