Desert Passages
Las Vegas Poet Stan Tolpen Creates Second Book Of Poetry
“Below the canyon, in the middle of the cactus field
Stands the distinct clarity of the desert’s heart.
The heart that stands as a web for the azure sunset above.”
--the first stanza of "Desert Passages", by Stan Tolpen.
Las Vegas writer Stan Tolpen is hoping that his second book of poetry will prove as popular as the first. Crosscurrents, a journey through an emotional landscape, provides the reader with cause to think about various feelings and emotional vicissitudes. Tolpen has submitted the poems to a publisher, and is waiting to hear on them.
Tolpen self-published his first book, Holy Land Dream, through Tolpen Publishing. He says the book was well-received, and inspired him to continue with his writing and publish a second book. There are no more copies of the first book available.
“The desert passage’s formula seems to fit this silhouetted silence,
That overtakes the dusty contradictions which it stands for . . .
The legend’s of the fallen canyon heroes;
And the artistic panorama that pans
Over the desert’s evasive characteristics –
A solitude withering a flight from wings of angels.”
--"Desert Passages", second stanza.
Stan Tolpen: Not Just a Poet
In addition to poetry, Tolpen has written short stories. They were published as “Stan’s Short-Short Stories,” in 1991-1992. “These are little stories that I composed, consisting of Stan’s literary delights,” he says. “One of them is about a child delivered in a diner by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is a take on Kurt Vonnegut.”
Another story is about Mississippi boat gambling, and is a takeoff on Louis Armstrong. A third depicts a Polynesian woman doing “dirty dancing” at a king’s coronation.
Tolpen, who is from St. Louis, MO, says he has been writing since the eighth grade. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s Columbia School of Journalism and has done graduate work in Communications at Webster University. He has been in Las Vegas for nine years.
“I have a strong emphasis in writing for the media, journalism, English Literature and poetry writing,” he says. “I used to write for several non-profit organizations, and for a Coca-Cola franchise in St. Louis.” Most recently, he is submitting his work to the Library of Congress.
“I enjoy Theodore Roethke, Sylvia Plath, and Rod McKuen,” he replies, when asked which poets have influenced him. “I also like pop music by Jim Croce and Harry Chapin. I like writers who tell stories, especially. My favorite poem is “The Branch Will Not Break,” by Theodore Roethke. I like the image of the bird.”
He got his start writing poetry in high school, when he would create poems for his girlfriends. “All of it rhymed,” he recalls. “They got a kick out of it.”
A Private Man
Tolpen, who has a Jewish background, says he is into the spiritual side of life. He practices spirituality in private.
“I find life challenging, interesting, and a reflection of God’s beauty,” he explains. “We’re all experiencing what life has to offer us. It can be a poetic experience.
