Scott C. S. Stone joins UH Hilo as Writer in Residence

Author Scott C. S. Stone is joining the University of Hawai'i at Hilo as Writer In Residence, announced Dr. Bill Chen, vice chancellor of academic affairs.

"Mr. Stone is an eminent writer of history, biography, novels, and more," said Chen. "To quote Shakespeare, he's 'a man of many parts,' and we are very lucky to have him."

Stone is the author of 24 books, with three more scheduled for publication within the next year. His first, The Coasts of War (1966, Pyramid) was the first Vietnam war novel. In 1969, The Dragon's Eye (Fawcett and five foreign publishers), a novel of Indochina, won the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award as the best original softcover suspense novel published in America. In addition to novels, many of his books are non-fiction, covering a wide range of topics, including Hawai'i's military history, a history of Honolulu, biographies of prominent islanders, and due for publication in 2002, a book with the biographies of 50 outstanding Japanese-American women of the 20th century in Hawai'i.

The island of Hawai'i, where Stone has lived for many years, is the subject of several of his books, including The Tsunami of 1946 and 1960 and the Devastation of Hilo Town (2000, Island Heritage), written with Dr. Walt Dudley, UH Hilo professor of marine geology and oceanography. Stone has also written on Hawai'i's volcanoes and other travel topics, as well as an economic overview entitled The Island of Hawai'i/from Sail to Space (1997, Donning Company Publishers).

"I will be on campus to counsel anyone -- students, faculty, administrators -- that want to talk about writing," said Stone. "I've had every experience known to man in writing, so I can offer insights on how to write, deal with agents and publishers, handle reviews and movie rights. I can pass this on."

In addition to providing his services at the University, Stone hopes to hold an occasional seminar in which the community-at-large may participate. "I'll talk to anyone that will listen about writing," he said, noting that his writer-in-residence position will not preclude his own writing career.

Born in rural East Tennessee of Norwegian, Highland Scots, and Cherokee-Shawnee ancestry, Stone attended Tennessee public schools and graduated in 1957 from East Tennessee State University with a bachelor's degree in English. Knighted in 1994, in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Papal Order in direct descent from Crusader knights, he also bears the hereditary titles of Lord of Cullen and Lord of Drumtariff, both ancient Gaelic feudal fiefdoms of Baronial rank.

Stone has maintained a residence in Hawai'i since 1958. He lives in Volcano with his wife, Walelu Stone.

Stone will be available to the University community for consultations 10 hours a week, in UH Hilo's Mookini Library, Room 126, beginning the first week of September. He will vary his schedule to accommodate as many people as possible. He can be reached, after September 12, at 744-7507.