Author of 'All the Light We Cannot See' shares power of storytelling at MorseLife Literary Society season kick-off

Anthony Doerr knows the power of storytelling.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “All the Light We Cannot See” provided insight into the origin of his most recent novel, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” during a Thursday presentation to kick off the MorseLife Literary Society’s season at The Colony hotel.

Doerr said he was honored to be the first author to speak to the group in person in two years. “The pandemic really functioned as a severing of connection for so many people,” he said.

Doerr went on to highlight the importance of connection – among each other and the world around us – over the next 40 minutes, as he spun threads that he then carefully wove together to help readers understand the full scope and impact of “Cloud Cuckoo Land.”

In the novel, Doerr follows five protagonists across thousands of years. Connecting each character is a book written in ancient Greek, with the characters’ stories interweaving and leaping across genres. Where Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See” connected its characters through the power of radio, the characters in “Cloud Cuckoo Land” are drawn together by storytelling.

During the presentation, Doerr touched on topics including the modern-day space race among billionaires; the history of walls and the roles they play in his recent work; and books, and “the fragility of memory.” He lamented the lost classics of Greece and Rome, thousands of works from major philosophers, poets and writers.

“The threads of cultural transmission are constantly being severed,” Doerr said.

He explained interconnectedness in nature using the example of the orchid bee, which plays a vital role in the rainforest ecosystem, from propagation of brazil nut trees to the survival of the agouti, a small rodent.

It was this example Doerr used to bring home his message about the importance of connection.

“Literary art, I believe, can scrub away the scales that form over our eyes and show us a newly astonishing way of being alive, that the world is worlding all around us, as (philosopher Martin) Heidegger put it,” Doerr said. “When you fall into a good book, you become a living simile. You exist in multiple places. You occupy multiple selves. You open multiple eyes. You are the agouti, but you see all the ways you are linked to the orchid bee.”

Event co-host Marlene Strauss, who spoke after Doerr's presentation — which received a standing ovation — said “It’s hard to know what to say, but I think we can all concur that that was an extraordinarily beautiful delivery.”

The MorseLife Literary Society supports the work of MorseLife Health System, a nonprofit provider of senior care including assisted living, care management, home health care, hospice, memory care, long-term care, short-term rehabilitation and Parkinson’s Disease treatment. Through its many programs, MorseLife provides services to 3,600 seniors each day in Palm Beach County.

This season’s Literary Society series continues Jan. 12 with Hernan Diaz presenting his novel “Trust,” followed by Jennifer Egan and her novel “The Candy House” on Feb. 9. The series wraps up with Geraldine Brooks and her novel “Horse” on March 9.

For more information, email events@morselife.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Author of 'All the Light We Cannot See' shares power of storytelling