Billy Marshall Stoneking
Encyclopedia
Billy Marshall Stoneking (born 31 August 1947) is an Australia
n-American
poet
, playwright
, filmmaker, and teacher
. His son C.W. Stoneking is a musician.
, the second child of Charles and Florence Marshall. Born William Randolph Marshall on 31 August 1947 (his sister, Barbara, named him 'Randolph' after her favorite movie actor, Randolph Scott
, and his mother selected 'William', after an old family friend, later aide de camp to President John F. Kennedy
). The name "Stoneking" derives from his paternal great-grandfather, Reuben Stoneking (of Hundred, WV, Wetzel County), who abandoned mother and child shortly after his grandfather was born. Stoneking's early years were spent growing up on military
bases around the United States, including Randolph Field (Texas
) and Fort Slocum (New York
). When his father retired in 1961, the family moved to northern California where he attended high school in Folsom
and Rancho Cordova, California
. He graduated from California State University
(Sacramento
) in 1970, majoring in English, with minors in philosophy and education; and in 1972, he migrated to Australia. "The bumper stickers said, 'America, love it or leave it', so I left." In 1983, after more than a decade living in Australia, four years of which were spent living with tribal Aboriginal people 275 km west northwest of Alice Springs, Stoneking graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney, specialising in screenwriting.
/Luritja
.
, Amanda Stewart
, Jas H. Duke
, and others. His poems have been featured in the Oxford Book of Australian Poetry (edited by Les Murray
), and The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry
(edited by John Tranter
and Philip Mead). He is also the author of seven books, including Lasseter, In Quest of Gold (Hodder & Stoughton, 1989), Singing the Snake (Angus & Robertson) and Taking America Out of the Boy (Hodder Spectrum). In 2008, his poem "The Seasons of Fire" was chosen by Australian poet, Les Murray, as "one of the 10 best Australian poems ever written." All ten selections, including Stoneking's, are featured in the Fall issue of the University of Liverpool's literary journal, The Reader
.
, and, in 1982, was admitted to the full-time screenwriting program of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
Stoneking's first films were made in the mid-1980s, including a chronicle of his work at Papunya Aboriginal Settlement, Desert Stories. He also had success writing for television, including the AFI award-winning drama series, Stringer, which he created and wrote for ABC TV.
These early successes were followed by scripts for Paramount Television's
Mission: Impossible, and the full-length stage play, Sixteen Words for Water, which went on to successful productions in London
, New Zealand
, and the U.S.
In addition to writing and producing, Stoneking is a much sought after script editor and story consultant. He has script edited a number of award-winning films including the AFI-nominated Australian feature, Chopper
(2000); and he was script editor/consultant on Darlene Johnson's much acclaimed short feature, Crocodile Dreaming (2007), and Maya Newell's documentaries, RICHARD The Most Interestingest Person I've Ever Met
and TWO
He has produced a number of critically acclaimed films, including Nosepeg's Movie (which he also wrote), Call It Poetry (50 mins, ABC-TV) and more recently, the groundbreaking 30-minute film drama, Jelly's Placenta, written, designed and directed by Christina Conrad, which he co- and executive produced. Two features, Waking the Martyrs and Seeing the Elephant are currently (as of October, 2010) in post-production.
Stoneking travels extensively, running workshops and seminars all over the world. When not on the road he advises and works as a mentor at the International Film School, Sydney.
See photo http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/Stonekingpic1.jpg
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, filmmaker, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. His son C.W. Stoneking is a musician.
Childhood and education
Billy Marshall Stoneking was born in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, the second child of Charles and Florence Marshall. Born William Randolph Marshall on 31 August 1947 (his sister, Barbara, named him 'Randolph' after her favorite movie actor, Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
, and his mother selected 'William', after an old family friend, later aide de camp to President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
). The name "Stoneking" derives from his paternal great-grandfather, Reuben Stoneking (of Hundred, WV, Wetzel County), who abandoned mother and child shortly after his grandfather was born. Stoneking's early years were spent growing up on military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
bases around the United States, including Randolph Field (Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) and Fort Slocum (New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
). When his father retired in 1961, the family moved to northern California where he attended high school in Folsom
Folsom
- Places :* Folsom, Alabama* Folsom, California* Folsom, Louisiana* Folsom, New Jersey* Folsom, New Mexico* Folsom, Pennsylvania* Folsom, West Virginia- People :* Abby Folsom , American feminist and abolitionist...
and Rancho Cordova, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He graduated from California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
(Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
) in 1970, majoring in English, with minors in philosophy and education; and in 1972, he migrated to Australia. "The bumper stickers said, 'America, love it or leave it', so I left." In 1983, after more than a decade living in Australia, four years of which were spent living with tribal Aboriginal people 275 km west northwest of Alice Springs, Stoneking graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney, specialising in screenwriting.
Teaching
After completing a year's post-graduate credential in teaching, Stoneking migrated to Australia and spent five years teaching high school English and humanities subjects in Lake Bolac and Cobden, Victoria, before travelling to Papunya Aboriginal Settlement, Central Australia in 1979 where he was employed to set up a "literature production" programme for tribal Aboriginal people to enable them to teach their children to read and write in their native language, PintupiPintupi
Pintupi refers to an Australian Aboriginal group who are part of the Western Desert cultural group and whose homeland is in the area west of Lake MacDonald and Lake Mackay in Western Australia. These people moved into the Aboriginal communities of Papunya and Haasts Bluff in the west of the...
/Luritja
Luritja
Luritja is a name used to refer to several dialects of the Indigenous Australian Western Desert Language, and thereby also to the people who speak these varieties, and their traditional lands.-Origin and meaning of Luritja:...
.
Writing
By this time, Stoneking had already been publishing his poems in little magazines around Australia for a number of years. He was also active in the burgeoning performance poetry movement, which included fellow poets, Pi OPi O
П. O. is an Australian, working class, anarchist, poet of Greek origin.Born in Katerini, Greece, П. O. came to Australia with his family around 1954. After time in Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre, the family moved to the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.П. O...
, Amanda Stewart
Amanda Stewart
Amanda Stewart is a contemporary Australian poet and sound/performance artist.Amanda Stewart began writing and performing poetry in the 1970s and has since produced a wide array of sound, video and multimedia work. In the 1980s she worked for ABC radio as a producer...
, Jas H. Duke
Jas H. Duke
Jas Heriot Duke was a cult figure in the Australian performance poetry scene. He worked much of his life in Melbourne Board of Works and began writing poetry in 1966. He was influenced by Dada, Expressionism and experimental movements...
, and others. His poems have been featured in the Oxford Book of Australian Poetry (edited by Les Murray
Les Murray (poet)
Leslie Allan Murray, AO , known as Les Murray, is an Australian poet, anthologist and critic. His career spans over forty years, and he has published nearly 30 volumes of poetry, as well as two verse novels and collections of his prose writings...
), and The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry
The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry
The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry is a major anthology of twentieth century Australian poetry. Edited by poets Philip Mead and John Tranter it was published by Penguin Australia in 1991...
(edited by John Tranter
John Tranter
John Ernest Tranter is an Australian poet, publisher and editor. He has a long list of achievements in writing, publishing and broadcasting...
and Philip Mead). He is also the author of seven books, including Lasseter, In Quest of Gold (Hodder & Stoughton, 1989), Singing the Snake (Angus & Robertson) and Taking America Out of the Boy (Hodder Spectrum). In 2008, his poem "The Seasons of Fire" was chosen by Australian poet, Les Murray, as "one of the 10 best Australian poems ever written." All ten selections, including Stoneking's, are featured in the Fall issue of the University of Liverpool's literary journal, The Reader
The Reader
The Reader is a novel by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink, published in Germany in 1995 and in the United States in 1997...
.
Screenplays
After four years at the Papunya Aboriginal Settlement in the Northern Territory, Stoneking returned to SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and, in 1982, was admitted to the full-time screenwriting program of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
Stoneking's first films were made in the mid-1980s, including a chronicle of his work at Papunya Aboriginal Settlement, Desert Stories. He also had success writing for television, including the AFI award-winning drama series, Stringer, which he created and wrote for ABC TV.
These early successes were followed by scripts for Paramount Television's
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
Mission: Impossible, and the full-length stage play, Sixteen Words for Water, which went on to successful productions in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the U.S.
Mentor, script editor, producer, & story consultant
Stoneking is a teacher of dramatic writing in Australia. He is in constant demand both in Australia and overseas. He has presented his legendary workshop, the Drama of Screenwriting, in every capital city in Australia and New Zealand. He was also a featured speaker at Tropfest's Roughcut in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.In addition to writing and producing, Stoneking is a much sought after script editor and story consultant. He has script edited a number of award-winning films including the AFI-nominated Australian feature, Chopper
Chopper (film)
Chopper is a 2000 Australian film, written and directed by New Zealand film-maker Andrew Dominik and based on the semi-autobiographical books by Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read. The film stars Eric Bana as the title character, and co-stars Vince Colosimo, Simon Lyndon, Bill Young and David Field...
(2000); and he was script editor/consultant on Darlene Johnson's much acclaimed short feature, Crocodile Dreaming (2007), and Maya Newell's documentaries, RICHARD The Most Interestingest Person I've Ever Met
Richard Blackie
Richard Blackie was a colourful but tragic Sydney character best known for his uncanny resemblance to Michael Jackson and for gathering one of Australia's largest collections of antique and vintage toys, comics and television & movie memorabilia for his lifelong ambition to create a toy...
and TWO
He has produced a number of critically acclaimed films, including Nosepeg's Movie (which he also wrote), Call It Poetry (50 mins, ABC-TV) and more recently, the groundbreaking 30-minute film drama, Jelly's Placenta, written, designed and directed by Christina Conrad, which he co- and executive produced. Two features, Waking the Martyrs and Seeing the Elephant are currently (as of October, 2010) in post-production.
Stoneking travels extensively, running workshops and seminars all over the world. When not on the road he advises and works as a mentor at the International Film School, Sydney.
See photo http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/Stonekingpic1.jpg
External links
- Billy Marshall Stoneking Blog Billy Marshall Stoneking's authorised BLOG
- Where's The Drama? The Ultimate Screen Drama Website
- Stoneking's Published and Produced Work Excerpts and links to Stoneking's poetry, plays and films