Robert Ellsberg

Robert Ellsberg, son of Daniel Ellsberg is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Orbis Books, the publishing arm of Maryknoll.

Robert is the son of Carol Cummings, the daughter of a Marine Corps Brigadier General, and the American military analyst and whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg. In 1975, at age 19, he dropped out of college, intending to spend a few months with the Catholic Worker Movement.

He stayed to become the managing editor of The Catholic Worker for two years (1976-8), a job that would introduce him to Dorothy Day and consequently would allow him to work with Day for the last five years of her life. This life-changing experience prompted him to convert to Catholicism.

Robert returned to Harvard, and earned a degree in religion and literature, and later a Master's in Theology from Harvard Divinity School.

In 1987 he began work as editor-in-chief of Orbis Books. He is the author of several books, many of which have received awards; his Blessed Among All Women tied a Catholic Press Association record by winning awards for Gender, Spirituality, and Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith. He is the editor of the published diaries and letters of Dorothy Day.

• All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time (Crossroad, 1997)
• The Saints' Guide to Happiness: Practical Lessons in the Life of the Spirit, Doubleday, 2005. ISBN 978-0-385-51566-5
• Blessed Among All Women: Reflections on Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time (Crossroad, 2006).
• The Duty Of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day. ISBN 0-87462-023-6 (editor) Marquette University Press, Milwaukee, 2008
• All the Way to Heaven: The Selected Letters of Dorothy Day. ISBN 978-0-87462-061-0 (editor) Marquette University Press, Milwaukee, 2010.