After publishing fourteen professional books, Stan wrote

Tall Tales to leave a legacy for subsequent generations, as a human annuity, as a mark of his post-retirement work, and as a way of taking stock. Its done in four genres—memoir, essay, fiction, and poetry—and grouped by theme, with sections on his personal life, work life, his thoughts on religion, ten fictional tales, and two intermezzi with some poems. That's it. Have fun.