off-topic: Stone Reader

Recently, on the Hemingway mailing list I read, there was
mention of a documentary called STONE READER, which was about a
1972 novel called THE STONES OF SUMMER, by Dow Mossman. The
1972 novel received excellent reviews, heralded the arrival of a
new talent, but then it and the author disappeared. The book is
out of print; the author is long-forgotten; and the creator of
the movie chronicles his obsession with the book he loved and
the writer who intrigued him.

(If you use google.com, you can search:

        "Dow Mossman" Stones

exactly like that, and get a good selection of web sites about
the writer and his book and the strange story of his
disappearance.)

It's a familiar pattern: a one-hit wonder who appears from
nowhere, writes a book that attracts a big segment of
readership, and then the writer is never heard from again.

Film creator Mark Moskowitz sets off on a detective mission, to
do what he can to find Mossman. Mossman isn't as militantly
reclusive as the man from Cornish, but apparently Moskowitz has
a hard time initially (though he might have had an easier time
if he started with a google search, which hits a bunch of pages
that predate the documentary and point out how to reach the
writer) but eventually his sleuthing pays off.

I mention this because I haven't seen it yet (so I cannot be
detailed beyond what I have read about it), but: it's currently
playing in a movie theater on 42nd St. near Times Square, and
I'm going on Saturday morning to see it, at 11 am, the only time
it is playing.

This is an attempt to put the story of the book in context, but
also to note that if there are other bananafisheroids in the NYC
area who feel inclined to go along, that showing is THIS
WEEKEND, March 22, 2003, at the "AMC Empire 25" theater on 42nd
St. There are only two more showings: Saturday and another the
same time on Sunday.

Writer Martin Roper will introduce the movie on Saturday and
discuss the book and the Iowa Writer's Workshop, where Mossman
studied. (Kate Moses will do the honors on Sunday.) If you
want to meet up and attend this thing, please don't hesitate to
contact me privately (write to: tim@roughdraft.org, not to the
list) in advance, so we can be sure to get tickets and also
arrange meeting up properly.

It would likely be fun to meet up with fish I have not met
before, so please give it consideration if you can be out of
catatonia by 11 on Saturday morning. Which is certainly
questionable for me, at least, after what has been shaping up as
a long week....

So: write if you would like to go. If people are interested, I
will summarize what it's like for the list. Maybe you will
catch it at a local theater near you.

I hope to hear from some local list members before Saturday!

Cheers,

--tim

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Received on Thu Mar 20 21:37:36 2003