Last week, I started my first graduate school class. When the professor announced in the first class that we would be watching a documentary, I jokingly thought to myself, “Maybe this grad school thing would be easier than I thought!”

The 2002 documentary, The Stone Reader, is the story of two men – Mark Moskowitz and Dow Mossman. Moskowitz is a filmmaker and a great lover of books. As a teenager, he read a New York Times book review of Stones of Summer by Dow Mossman. He attempted several times in his life to get through the book, but he never could — until the late 1990s. He once again picked up his copy and started reading. This time, he was inspired. He loved the book and looked for more books by Mossman. He found nothing; no record of Mossman — it was as if he vanished off the face of the earth after his first critically-acclaimed novel failed to find success.

The Stone Reader is about Moskowitz’s quest to track down Mossman and find out what happened. The documentary chronicles virtually everyone involved in the book publishing process — from his teachers to his agent to the book critic to the publisher and book jacket designer. Moskowitz even interviews the photographer who took Mossman’s photo for the inside flap. Does he find Mossman? Well, I won’t give away the ending, but the documentary is a great choice for anyone who loves to read.

It also offers a glimpse into the life of authors. As these men and women put their hearts and souls into their characters and plots, they can begin to lose themselves. Many never achieve critical or monetary success, and sometimes the pressure is just too great. It’s more common than you think to have one-book authors. Some of the greats only wrote one book — look at Harper Lee and To Kill A Mockingbird. The documentary is just an overall look at reading, publishing and authors.

On Wednesday, J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye, one of the most beloved and iconic books of all time, passed away at the age of 91. Salinger is a perfect example of the above. He followed with short stories and novellas. He refused movie options. And he went on to live a semi-reclusive life in New Hampshire.

Check out The Stone Reader if you have a chance. It offers the opportunity to take an inside peek at the literary world and gain a new perspective.

— Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive