https://www.stonereader.net/home daily 1.0 2023-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1569526625315-MKQ5207V5CGL85GF7LL0/Book.jpg Home - 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. https://www.stonereader.net/reviews-and-articles daily 0.75 2020-04-15 https://www.stonereader.net/about-the-film-1 daily 0.75 2019-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1569527291003-NCIKKDD9WRBZHYKOXS7Z/Manuscript.jpg About the Film - Director’s Statement (from the 2003 version) STONE READER follows my quest to find a long out-of-print book The Stones of Summer and a forgotten writer, Dow Mossman. The novel is one of youth and rebellion, written from 1965-1971 when I was a teenager and rebellion was at the heart of the arts and the new consciousness of young Americans. Although I was a passionate reader, I couldn’t get into the book back then. But when I came across it again in 1998, the pages of the old paperback literally coming unglued in my hands, I found myself as moved and as struck by its originality as I remember the reviewer to have been in 1972. As soon as I finished it I hopped onto the internet to find the writer’s other books. There were none. Nor was there any trace of the writer, or even the publisher. Why no readers? Why no books? Did Mossman just stop writing? Was he even alive? I took time out from my other work and started filming what I found. Joined by cinematographer Joe Vandergast and then others who became intrigued by the quest, I looked for clues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1570138463459-BLLCTMQ004XA6K0ZMS9N/SR+freezes_5.1.2.jpg About the Film - Producer’s Notes I don’t recall the day of the week I picked up my constantly ringing phone and heard on the other end of the line, “it’s me.” It was Mark. Who else would start a call that way? Plus, his distinctive voice made him easy to identify. He launched into it. He had been working on this film and needed my help. What was the film about? Mark explained the story to me nearly the same way Stone Reader opens. I was intrigued because it was the least cinematic subject I could imagine – reading, readers, and the connection between readers and writers. It seemed to me to be an impossible subject for a film. My opinion changed after I watched what was then a many hours long assembly of scenes. Mark’s authorial voice was clear and the story so compelling I had forgotten how long I had been sitting there watching it – a long full day. It was like looking at one of Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures where you can imagine what the finished statue will look like because the body within the marble appears to be struggling to break free. Michelangelo famously said he worked to liberate the forms imprisoned in the marble and that his job was simply to remove what was extraneous. I signed on to the project and for the next 10 months we shaped what was then a sprawling epic about reading and more into what became Stone Reader. Then what? For a filmmaker, there are three mountains to climb. The first one is to complete the film. After that the next one is to convince the people who control what audiences get to see that your film can attract an audience so they’ll make it possible for someone to see. The final mountain to climb is finding and reaching the audience. That was difficult in 2003 before social media and streaming existed. The community of readers is large but they are in tiny clusters spread thinly around. We hope – this time – that everyone who loves to read will finally be able to see this heartfelt paean to what keeps us reading – the bond between us and the distinct voices who ignite our imaginations – and will also tell their friends. https://www.stonereader.net/books-list daily 0.75 2019-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1570131002267-8BXDUVAZO4O2SEPM8WL8/SR+freezes_5.1.2.jpg Books List https://www.stonereader.net/about-the-filmmakers daily 0.75 2019-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1569526882815-EU9RMZVL2PCRXMHTTGE4/RGoodman_alt_addwidth2.jpg About the Filmmakers - Robert M. Goodman, Producer Robert M. Goodman is an Emmy-nominated director, cinematographer, writer, and producer with over 35 years of experience in documentary, commercial, episodic, and feature production. He was a Professor at The Art Institute of Philadelphia for nine years where he taught filmmaking until the day he moved to Denmark. He's also a well-known expert in digital cinematography and workflow. Years of struggling with camera manuals written for engineers, led him to create the Goodman’s Guide series, the first reference books to explain how to use digital cinematography cameras from a camera operator’s perspective. The Goodman’s Guides series became indispensable tools for cinematographers around the globe. Goodman conducted workshops on production, digital cinematography, workflow and post for broadcasters, camera manufacturers, film festivals and other organizations. He's been a consultant for Panasonic, RED, Sony, and Thomson on camera development. For decades, Goodman was a contributing editor for Broadcast Television, Digital Cinema, The Independent Film & Video Monthly, Videography, DV, and DOX magazines. He began his career as a still photographer before transitioning into the film industry. Goodman is a member of the Danish Directors Association and is working on a novel and several new film projects when he's not out on the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1569437831072-RZI45UYJVMAK4EOQWXRR/markcloseup.jpg About the Filmmakers - Mark Moskowitz, Director/Producer Mark Moskowitz, producer and director of STONE READER, is known for his issue-oriented media, including more than three thousand political spots for hundreds of races nationally and worldwide. He has been awarded “Pollies,” political media’s highest award, for five consecutive years. Newsweek described his media as “brilliantly targeted,” and CNN called it “a model of the medium.” Besides his political work, Moskowitz has created promotional media for high profile athletes, musicians, CEOs, and others in the public eye. For over forty years he’s specialized in telling reality stories by bringing amateurs to life on-camera. STONE READER, his first feature film, won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film (a first for a nonfiction narrative) and a Special Grand Jury Honor (the festival’s top prize) at the 2002 Slamdance Festival. The International Documentary Association (IDA) nominated STONE READER for its Distinguished Achievement Award in the Feature category. IDA is the largest association of nonfiction filmmakers in the world and an IDA nomination is one of the most prestigious honors a nonfiction film can receive. His latest film is “It Was the Music”, a 10-part series to be distributed in 2020. https://www.stonereader.net/articles daily 0.75 2019-09-25 https://www.stonereader.net/the-restoration daily 0.75 2019-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d8a391b7614d025c82366bf/1570131448187-KZLXJDZ4GJ3I0TPA32NV/SR+freezes_5.1.16.jpg The Restoration https://www.stonereader.net/maslin daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/mehegan daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/hoekstra daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/rosen daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/sullivan daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/ramsey daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://www.stonereader.net/morris daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/foundas daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/mitchell daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/rosenbaum daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/vognar daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/rickey daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/schwarzbaum daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/hoberman daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/kenyon daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/gallo daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/rainer daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://www.stonereader.net/audio daily 0.75 2019-10-07 https://www.stonereader.net/newsletter daily 0.75 2020-08-06