Vespers is comprised almost entirely* of writings of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila These writings run the gamut … with Night of Sense and The Transforming Union at either end of the spectrum … joined at the center by candid (oft-times startling in their self-effacing nature) … "Teresian" counsel for “Proficients.”

* “almost entirely”:  as counterpoint, the practical and pragmatic reflections of Dr. Gerald May (a practicing Psychiatrist) on the writings of John and Teresa - as they deal with The Dark Night of the Soul - are injected where it seems necessary and / or relevant.

"Teresa of Avila far exceeds all writers that preceded her

on the subject of contemplation.

After St. Teresa, the first place (for careful observation of

these matters) belongs to John of the Cross.

Teresa and John of the Cross are also greatly

superior to subsequent authors,

who have been satisfied to repeat them, with comments."

                                                                                       (Catholic Encyclopedia)

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The Editor relied heavily for syntheses of the writings of John and Terasa on Thomas Dubay, S.M.  and his masterpiece Fire Within (Ignatius Press / San Francisco). Between the Clouds, itself, synthesizes Dubay's synthesis!*

From the jacket of Fire Within we read: "This book is a goldmine for any Christian intent on making progress in prayer. ... A work of art by a master of the spiritual life." (Benedict Groeschel, Capuchin / Author, Spiriitual Passages)

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Compline’s 31 Hours are a blend of the wisdom* of Contemplative's from both past and present. Here you will find shards and pieces of both the glory and agony of a contemplative journey… transformed into mirror-words by which we might see ourselves on the Journey.

 * often enough as "wisdom" translated / gleaned from the idiom of developmental psychology, anthropology and physics.

Note: Mystics / Contemplative's whose Epigrams have been used in Compline (and. occasionally, Lauds and Vespers)  range from Henri Nouwen to Meister Eckhardt; Thomas Merton to Peter Damien; Bede Griffiths to Thomas Keating.

Also:

Oliver Sacks, M.D.; Richard Rohr, O.F.M.; Jung;

Abraham Joshua Heschel; A. St. Espurey;

Doris Grumbach; Kabir; Deng Ming-dao;

Hans Urs von Balthazar; C.S. Lewis;

Denise Carmody; Brother Roger of Taize;

Juan Jiminez; Stephen Mitchell;

Rufus Jones;  Laurence Freeman, OSB; 

Edith Stein (a.k.a. Sister Benedicta, O.S.B.);

R. Rohlheiser, O.M.I.; Francis Fenelon; Boehme;

Brother Lawrence; R. Waldo Emerson;

Contemplative Outreach (www.centeringprayer.com); 

   WCCM (www.wccm.org); Robert Raines 

William MacNamara, OC.D.; Joseph Sandman;

Tagore; John Main, O.S.B.; Annie Dillard;

Karl Rahner, S.J.;  Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J.