A critically acclaimed book vanished.
Its author forgotten.
One reader determined to find out why.
“A wonderful film about readers, writers and writing.” One of the Ten Best Documentaries of the Year.
— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“A great literary mystery. I've never seen a movie that paid more heartfelt tribute to the power of artistic invention.”
— J. Hoberman, Village Voice
“A little film masterpiece of persuasion and advocacy. A cinematic equivalent of a bona-fide page-turner. As moving as a great, bittersweet novel.”
— James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle
GET STONE READER ON DIGITAL ON DEMAND
Stone Reader is also available on InDemand TVOD and Vubiquity.
A movie for anyone who has ever loved a book
In 1972, 18-year-old Mark Moskowitz read an enthusiastic New York Times review of a novel called “The Stones of Summer” by first-time author Dow Mossman. He bought it, convinced it was the book of his generation, but, in spite of being an avid reader, couldn’t get past the first twenty pages. He closed the book.
Twenty-five years later, he opened it again. But this time he couldn’t put it down. Enthralled with its story and wonderful originality, Moskowitz looked for copies to send to friends and for other works by the author. He couldn’t find the book. He couldn’t find a record of the author. He couldn’t find anyone who had even heard of the author’s name, let alone read the book.
The film chronicles filmmaker Mark Moskowitz’s year-long search for Dow Mossman. Pursuing answers to the literary mystery, he crisscrossed the country, meeting, among others, Robert Gottlieb, editor of “Catch-22,” Frank Conroy, head of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and critic Leslie Fiedler. Cinematic, humorous and obsessive, the journey is a wistful, powerful affirmation of reading and what it means to us.
18 Years Later…
Stone Reader was first released in 2003. Since then it, like the Stones of Summer before it, is hard to find.
That’s about to change. Stone Reader has been remastered for 4k and is available on streaming.
Check out an interview the director did with The Collidescope about the remaster here.