Besides the actual writing and teaching, Stanley’s chosen vocations meant many other tasks and recognitions. For example, he edited Stories from the Sixties for Doubleday and Best American Short Stories 1980 for Penguin. He and Joan went to Rome, England, Brazil, Venezuela and Hawaii on different grants and speaking tours. He went on a speaking tour of Alaska as part of judging a writing contest. He gave numerous interviews and received stories in the press (often including Joan) when new books came out. He was a regular at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and later the Sewanee Writers Conference. Because of his MS he was one of the first well-known writers to switch to the word processor (which WashU paid for), which he loved because he could write for more hours a day. He gave numerous introductions for friends and colleagues, gave countless readings himself, and much more.  

Joan’s artwork was featured in eight solo exhibitions, twelve group/juried exhibitions, and appeared on numerous book and journal covers. Washington University commissioned and purchased two oil paintings by Joan: “Jarvis Thurston and His Circle,” in 1982, and “The English Department,” in 1992. Both paintings were reproduced in color and used for the English Department’s Graduate Programs Posters yearly from 1985 through 1995. “The English Department” was selected and reproduced as the English Department’s “Home Page” artistic graphic for its website. The originals of “Jarvis Thurston and His Circle” and “The English Department” hang in Duncker Hall.