FINDING MY VOICE: Laura Morelli

FINDING MY VOICE
Laura Morelli

I found my voice by accident. Let me explain.

Even though I had dreamt of writing a novel for as long as I can remember, a love of history and the visual arts led me to pursue a career in academia. After all, art history is the most fascinating topic in the world!

As an art historian, I had the pleasure to teach, research, and write about subjects for which I have a passion. What a job! I relished the hours in the library and loved sharing new material with my students. I learned the craft of academic writing, a type of writing that demands rigor and a strict adherence to the conventions of humanities scholarship.

After a while, though, the more I wrote, the more boxed in I felt. The conventions of writing for conference lectures and scholarly journals transformed the exciting topic of art history into something dry and inaccessible. I felt compelled to burst out of the box! I wanted to share the thrill of art history with a broader audience, and writing gave me that opportunity.

My first foray into non-academic writing came in the form of a specialty travel guide series I published with Rizzoli. With my books Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in the Southwest, my mission is to lead travelers beyond the tourist traps to discover authentic local traditions and artists, and come home with great treasures in their suitcases. My focus is cultural immersion through a greater appreciation of art objects and the people who make them.

Finally, that novel I had wanted to write ever since I was a little girl appeared on the horizon. The story of The Gondola Maker, my first work of fiction, germinated in my head while I was working on Made in Italy. The contemporary Italian artisans I interviewed told me how important it was to them to pass on the torch of tradition to the next generation. I began to wonder what would happen if the successor were not able or willing to take on that duty. The characters of the gondola maker and his heirs began to take shape. The motivations of these characters intrigued me so much that I felt compelled to write a book to find out what would happen to them.

I continue to write about art history for a broad audience. I have developed art history lessons for TED-Ed, reaching a global audience of students. I am currently working on a series of guides that lead travelers to authentic arts in particular cities. I will come back to historical fiction, though, as so many stories behind the world’s works of art—whether famous or undiscovered—remain to be told.

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About the Author
Laura Morelli holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, where she was a Bass Writing Fellow and Mellon Doctoral Fellow. She authored a column for National Geographic Traveler called “The Genuine Article” and contributes pieces about authentic travel to US magazines and newspapers. Laura has taught college-level art history at Trinity College in Rome, as well as at several North American universities. Laura has lived in five countries, including four years in Italy and four years in France. Laura Morelli is the author of the guidebook series that includes Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in the Southwest, all published by Rizzoli / Universe. The Gondola Maker, a historical coming-of-age story about the heir to a gondola boatyard in 16th-century Venice, is her award-winning first work of fiction.

 

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