Writing and art by Alex Stone
Alex Stone - award-winning New Zealand writer and artist
Alex Stone is a writer, poet and artist based on Waiheke Island in New Zealand.
Alex's writing spans books, feature journalism, weekly newspaper columns, performance poetry, and creative short story writing - for which he has been acknowledged in nine New Zealand literary awards.
Prepare to be inspired, moved, challenged, informed and stimulated by Alex's distinctive writing.
His short stories are often inspired by snippets of history, upon which Alex expands fictionally. Within his crisp and unique prose form, Alex's stories and mini-essays are witty, full of symbolism, always rewarding.
*
NEW BOOKS
On Alex's writing:
"A writer of striking originality with qualities of daring and humour that are rare. Like Lloyd Jones, Alex has the ability to create a landscape so vivid the reader feels he is walking down
a dusty road or in the hold of a ship."
- Elizabeth Smither, former poet laureate of New Zealand.
"Alex's perspective is unusual. This gives his stories their outstanding quality: they are original. I have not read stories like this before. If one of the objects of good writing is to move the reader to
a different place, then he succeeds very well."
- Bruce Ansley, acclaimed New Zealand author.
"There is energy and confidence on every page.
The way in which you inhabit your lines is remarkable."
- Lloyd Jones, author of Mr Pip
“It was a very impressive collection: the best stories are outstanding.”
- literary editor Stephen Stratford on jesus of the credit cards.
“I was very impressed with Alex’s collection, and particularly the story They. With its lyrical language and daring concept, this was a piece of writing that truly stood out from the crowd.
“Taken looks to be a bold and imaginative concept. Writing samples I have seen have
a musicality and dignity...”
- Katie Hayworth, Penguin Books NZ editor.
“I was greatly impressed by his entry Taken – an accomplished and poignant story. Here was a writer of considerable potential should he decide to write longer fiction...”
- Tessa Duder, judge, AUT creative writing competition.
"I was struck by their originality, particularly by Came to Talk and Noun and Verb."
- Carl Nixon, New Zealand novelist.
“A robust and multi-faceted talent.”
- NZ Listener.
"...his poems are wistful little gems in the Thurber tradition."
- Otago Daily Times.
"There are works which inform. There are works which entertain. There are works which inspire.
Umkhapalanga is all of these. And much much more.
My sincere congratulations on your tour de force. It is itself a ‘cool wind of wisdom’.
For it is prose, it’s poetry, it’s a monologue, a dialogue, a history, a reconciliation,
a jeremiad, a panegyric … in sum, a triumph."
- Steven Roger Fischer, author of Islands, The History of Writing, Glyphbreaker etc
“Stone has that essential and sometimes under-respected quality of writing stories that engage you till the end. He likes his people and enjoys his eccentrics…”
- David Hill, Weekend Herald.
*
On Alex's paintings
"Despite their apparent invitation to literal or constructed meaning, his works always tantalisingly, sometimes frustratingly, elude interpretation.
"To call it 'abstract' or 'figurative' is perhaps inappropriate - more, it resembles a dance or a musical score, a response or description
of an event in line and motion."
- Janet Hunt, NZ Herald, in a review of the High Country exhibition.
"A magical world of humour and hope"
- Gulf News
"...each painting performs a dance to a variety of lyrics."
- NZ Herald
"...of outstanding intellectual and practical talent, displaying in both his written and visual works a view of the world that is always informed by an acute sensibility to, and an understanding of, the role of the artist in society to inform, educate and broaden horizons and perspectives of the world around us.
"Alex's work is firmly rooted in a 'sense of place' that lies at the heart of all significant landscape art, and he seeks to re-define the nature of that particular place..."
- Peter Mousdale, head of AUT School of Art & Design.
"While Stone's images are the result of consistent thinking around a strong and integral theoretical framework, they also transcend this and move into areas of mystery, paradox, and visual delight. The art of Alex Stone is at once seemingly ancient yet immediate, deeply personal yet universal."
- Nancy de Freitas, artist and senior lecturer AUT School of Art & Design.