sean-murphy-site-header-2024

A Storyteller Covering The World,
One Topic at a Time

I’m Sean Murphy, and you might have heard me on NPR's "All Things Considered" or seen my name in The New York Times or The Huffington Post, among others. As a long-time columnist for PopMatters and a contributor to outlets ranging from Salon and The Good Men Project to The Village Voice and The Weeklings, my aim has always been to connect, provoke, and celebrate the stories that define us.


I founded 1455, a non-profit dedicated to celebrating creativity and community, and I direct the Story Center at Shenandoah University, but I’ve been telling—and savoring—words for as long as I can remember. Since I first began writing, I’ve been obsessed with the ways powerful narratives explain our world while creating new possibilities, how art broadens awareness and builds empathy. 


Here you'll find writing that spans the breadth of my passions: you can read my short fiction and poetry, or various essays about the literary and technology industries. Here you'll find two decades worth of book and movie reviews, and you can check out some of the artists I've interviewed. If you're a music fan, I'm your guy -- jazz aficionados go here and prog rock lovers dive deep here. If you're a political junkie, I've got plenty of opinions, and if you're interested in the intersection of creativity and culture, these pieces might scratch that itch


Check out my new story collection that challenges modern masculinity, This Kind of Man, as well as my recent poetry collection Kinds of Blue , and my extended meditation on grief Please Talk about Me When I'm Gone, which won the 2022 Memoir Prize. Finally, if you experienced the dot.com bust & boom, my novel Not to Mention a Nice Life should make you laugh and cry.


Welcome to the conversation. Welcome to my world.


Download Media Kit
May 7, 2024
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AS SEEN IN

comminty builder 1
Community Builder
I believe deeply in the importance of building and nurturing communities. The impetus behind 1455 was to showcase the work of creatives and support the micro communities spanning multiple artistic genres.
More About 1455
award winning author 24
Award Winning Author
If you've lost a loved one, my extended meditation on grief Please Talk about Me When I'm Gone won the 2022 Memoir Prize. If you experienced the dot.com bust and boom, my novel Not to Mention a Nice Life should make you laugh and cry. 
My Books
curator & pub speaker 24
Podcast Host & Public Speaker
Through curating 1455's programs—ranging from its e-zine and Author Series to its annual festivals—and host of the Some Things Considered podcast, I actively seek out and showcase diverse voices and explore the way creativity impacts all aspects of our lives.
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arts advocate 2
Professor & Arts Advocate
In a time where industries are consolidating and it is becoming increasingly challenging to engage with a sustained audience, I am focused on creating collaboration between artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, and even students, as a professor at Shenandoah University.
My Bio

Join me a few times a week for deep dives into the worlds of culture, art, politics, and everything in between.

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