I am trying to create a Newsletter to send via email. This newsletter will
use a mail merge to be custom for each person who receives it.

When I'm creating web pages, I can create a "master detail" set of web pages
where the attached Access database allows a list of records, then you click
on a link and get the details of the record you chose. It queries the
database by last name and lists only those records containing the last name.
In other words those records are "grouped" by last name. This is the concept
I want to use.

I would like a list of records related to the person who receives the
newsletter.

I have attempted to use the "catalog or directory" merge, but that isn't
working for me. I have also attempted to use an MS Access report, and
inserting into the newsletter, that is not working. I am having trouble
creating a query and using that as my datasource, that is also not working.

Any ideas about how I can accomplish such a merge?
Example:
Dear Professor <So-And-So>,

Here is the list of courses we have in our records for you this semester.

course number <1234> <Intro to Basketweaving> with <25> enrolled students
course number <5432> <Intro to Fraterity Pranks> with <22> enrolled students.