Joel Stone ’52

Joel Stone died Feb. 2, 2007. He resided in Concord, Mass.

Joel believed that it wasn’t possible to have received a better education than the one he had at James Madison High School in Brooklyn and at Princeton under the tutelage of instructors such as R.P. Blackmur and Walter Kaufman and with participation in the Special Program in the Humanities. Recipient of the English prize for two of those Princeton years, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and spent the year after graduation on a Fulbright at the Sorbonne.

Joel was like his writing: intelligent, poetic, layered, and witty, and with respect for a good story and an understanding of character. He used words with love and precision. His first novel, A Town Called Jericho, was nominated for a Pulitzer. His last novel, The Jerusalem File, is scheduled for posthumous release early this year. His style influences ranged from Chekhov to Raymond Chandler, with a healthy dose of the sports pages thrown in. A man of strong opinions, he loved to voice them. Both funny and fun, he loved to talk.

Joel is survived by Dorothy, his wife of 45 years; their daughter, Katie; granddaughters Rachael and Sherifa; and his sister, Lynda; who all loved to listen.