Abelardo Morell said, when not reading for work, he gravitates to novels with “a kind of intense reality.’’
Bibliophiles
Drawn by stories of those who get lost and find themselves
Abelardo Morell said, when not reading for work, he gravitates to novels with “a kind of intense reality.’’
Abelardo Morell is internationally known for his startling black-and-white still lifes as well as his magical, room-sized camera obscura images. The photographer and his family fled Havana in 1962, when he was 13. The Brookline resident recently retired from the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Art.
BOOKS: What are you reading now?
MORELL: I’ll give you a preface. One of my recent projects has been to photograph the American West for National Geographic. So, I just finished a book called “Time Exposure,’’ an autobiography by William Henry Jackson, a great 19th-century American photographer. He was part of many expeditions out West.
BOOKS: How’s the writing style, old-fashioned?
MORELL: It’s remarkably current. It’s the kind of story I really like, this American story of getting lost and, if you are lucky, you find yourself.
BOOKS: Are you reading a bunch of books like this?
MORELL: Before this book, I finished “Brutal Journey’’ by Paul Schneider, a retelling of Cabeza de Vaca’s journey. He was the first Spanish explorer in North America. I’ve read about him before. In college I was obsessed with him. I read this wonderful book by Haniel Long, “The Marvelous Adventure of Cabeza de Vaca.’’
In that same vein, I picked up “Desert Solitaire’’ by Edward Abbey. Where most of us see emptiness, he sees so much evidence of life.
BOOKS: When did you start reading for yourself?
MORELL: In high school. I had a terrific teacher who took it upon himself to teach me English. He knew what would get me so he started me out on Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms.’’ To this day, that’s a very important book for me.
BOOKS: Did you read novels in Spanish?
MORELL: No just English. It was clear to me we were here to stay. My parents would say, “You have so many books in English.’’ I’d say, “Look around. Where do we live?’’
BOOKS: Has your reading always related to your photography some how?
MORELL: No. I do like to read novels that have nothing to do with my work. I do concentrate on books that have a kind of intense reality. I have a friend, the writer Nicholson Baker. I read a lot of his work because of that kind of inventive nature within a minimal context. I read his newest book, “The Anthologist.’’ I’m always impressed.
BOOKS: How did you become friends?
MORELL: When I lived in North Quincy with my wife, he and his family moved onto the second floor. He was upstairs writing “The Mezzanine,’’ his first book, which is a lovely book. We became friends instantly. We’d have sandwiches outside. It wasn’t high art, just talking about the quality of the sandwiches.
BOOKS: Who else do you like?
MORELL: I read “Room,’’ a crazy, scary book by Emma Donoghue. It’s a woman and child in this room. They are hostages of this madman, and the story is told from the point of view of the boy. It’s a horrible situation and an amazing book.
BOOKS: How do you pick books?
MORELL: I did a project with Oliver Sacks last year, photographs for a chapter of “The Island of the Colorblind.’’ I read that and then his last book “The Mind’s Eye,’’ about his cancer in his eye. Oh my god, this is no longer just cool science; it’s about feelings. He’s a big hero of mine.
BOOKS: Any times of your life when you’ve read the most?
MORELL: The last couple of years I’ve been reading the most I have in a long time. I tend to be anxious by nature. It’s hard to read when you are thinking about so many things. I’m going to be 63 in September. Maybe age has calmed things. Reading, it’s nice to have it back.
AMY SUTHERLAND
Got suggestions for future Bibliophiles? Find us on Facebook or follow us @GlobeBiblio on Twitter. 
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
