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Dr. Rudolph V. Vanterpool turns his attention to
“race-transcending narratives” in new poetry
collection
 In
the wake of the release of his new collection of
poetry,
“Speak My Soul: Poems on Migrations and Returns
of a Native Son”
(published by AuthorHouse), Rudolph V.
Vanterpool recalls the beginnings of his love
affair with poetry.
“I began writing poetry during the early years
of my graduate studies in philosophy at Southern
Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois,”
remembers Vanterpool. “The interest started out
as a sheer hobby, as a means of finding a
creative outlet to express my personal
reflections on perennial philosophical issues
and the complexities and mysteries of the human
condition from a philosophical perspective
mainly. Back then, and even now, I thought of
the activity of composing poems as a soul-moved
conversation with which others (the readers)
could identify and even sympathize.”
Vanterpool continues this “soul-moved
conversation” in “Speak My Soul”. The engaging
collection addresses a wide range of human
conditions: the challenges and strivings, the
aspirations and anxieties. Vanterpool’s prose
form is stylistically free, while several of his
poems are composed with meticulous attention to
rhyming tendencies.
Vanterpool, ever the polymath, was inspired by
a host of concepts including the intellectual
discussions of writers of the Harlem
Renaissance, the emergence of Africana Studies
within the university setting and contemporary
Caribbean poetry. One can see the influences of
the scholarly works of these various movements
in “Speak My Soul”.
“I owe a great debt of gratitude for the
inspiration I was able to draw from these
historical and more contemporary composers of
literary and poetic discourses,” says Vanterpool.
While “Speak My Soul” is sure to speak to
lovers of poetry in general, those interested in
a creative analysis of cultural ethos will find
an extra incentive to delve into the collection.
“In this more encompassing sense my goal as
author is to draw attention to universal or
culturally-shared lived-experiences. Although
race-consciousness is a pervasive theme
explored, my ultimate goal is to seek to resolve
race-based disputes and to propose means of
rectifying otherwise racist discourse with
race-transcending narratives.”
About the Author
Rudolph V. Vanterpool, Ph.D., is Professor of
Philosophy and Chairman of the Philosophy
Department at California State University,
Dominguez Hills. A graduate of Wheaton College
in Illinois, he earned his doctorate in
philosophy from Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale, Illinois, and his J.D. from The
University of West Los Angeles School of Law. He
has published scholarly articles in professional
journals in his fields of expertise (Ethics &
Value Theory; Philosophy of Law, and Aesthetics)
as well as authoring chapters in anthologies.
In 1999 he was named CSU Outstanding Professor
at California State University, Dominguez Hills,
for exemplary teaching, scholarship and
professional service. He is also the author of
“In Job's Sandals: From Riches to Rags to
Rewards” (Vantage Press).
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