Paging Mr. Mossman

If you’ve been lucky enough to see Mark Moskowitz ’s documentary “Stone Reader,” then maybe you’re part of the reason why Dow Mossman’s novel “The Stones of Summer” carries a 4,758 Amazon.com sales ranking. Not bad for a book that had been out of print for the better part of two decades.

Originally published in 1972, “The Stones of Summer” is an involved, densely written 586-page coming-of-age novel about a young guy struggling to hold on to his sanity during the late 1960s . It received a glowing review in the New York Times , but that didn’t help it from slipping into obscurity. Then Moskowitz, a director of political ads, began wondering why he could find nothing on either the book of its author. And, slowly, he began putting together a film.

“Stone Reader” works, then, as a kind of literary mystery . And one of the best moments comes when, after doing numerous interviews without even getting close, Moskowitz meets up with one of Mossman’s former writing professors . And the man mentions the name of the book without having been prompted. I’m a sucker for such melodrama.

Which is why, as I sit here typing this, a paperback copy of “The Stones of Summer” rests on the couch next to me. I ordered it through Barnes & Noble , and it arrived just today. After I finish this, and after Gonzaga finishes beating San Diego, I plan on picking it up. Maybe even reading it.