Recent News
Sean Murphy's 2023
CREATIVE RECAP
The State of the Art, right now, is a sum total of every individual story. Taken together, common themes emerge. We can learn from mistakes made (by ourselves, by others), while emulating those who succeed, often by ignoring tastemakers and tired conventions. Each artist must tread their own path, because anything worth doing must be original, reflecting a style born out of what one sees, hears, feels, wants, loves, loathes, dreams.
Sean Murphy Reads From and Discusses Rhapsodies in Blue
1455 and Peter Bullough Foundation present a reading with poet and author of Rhapsodies in Blue, Sean Murphy. Rhapsodies in Blue is the second installment of an ongoing project exploring America through a series of poems that function as biography, history, and cultural commentary.
Sean Murphy Reads The Blackened Blues at Shenandoah University
In case you missed this in-person event at Shenandoah University, you can catch the recording on YouTube. Sean Murphy reads from his most recently published collection of poems, The Blackened Blues at a special event opening with student readings and closing with an author Q&A.
Sean Murphy Interviewed on 1455 Author Series
Aside from my role of founder and Executive Director of a non-profit organization that celebrates creativity and builds community, I’m also a writer. Much of my poetry (and musical criticism) concerns itself with a passion and obsession: jazz music, which is, alongside the blues (and bourbon), America’s signal artistic invention — yet both have very deep roots in African history and tradition.
Sean Murphy Announces Storyteller of the Year Lisa Ling
1455 is proud and honored to present this year’s 1455 Storytelling Award to Lisa Ling. Her celebrated career speaks for itself, but during a year of disruption and uncertainty, Lisa illustrates why the best storytellers are so integral to society. If I were to describe her to someone who had no idea who she is or what she does, I’d say that Lisa Ling is trying to cover the entire world, one story at a time, showing us how we work, what we eat, who we love, where we meet, and why everyone has a story worth telling.
Sean Murphy on the 14:55 Interview
Get a glimpse into what makes your favorite creative types tick—from the writers who inspired them, to the weird habits that accompany the practice of writing, their favorite places in the world, and more. Each week, Sean Murphy, Executive Director of 1455, poses 15 questions in (less than) 15 minutes in this fast-paced and insightful series. In this special edition, get to know Sean Murphy, author of fiction, poetry, reviews (of music, movie, book, food), and essays on the technology industry for almost twenty years. He has appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and been quoted in USA Today, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Forbes, and AdAge.
Sean Murphy Hosts Penn Faulkner Conversation on Crisis
Our planet is under pressure. Global warming, carbon emissions, and deforestation are only some of the issues putting stress on our resources – and sparking the imaginations of writers. This Literary Conversation featured three novelists whose work is informed by the possibility of impending crisis. Authors T.C. Boyle, Jenny Offil, and Nnedi Okorafor were in conversation with moderator Sean Murphy (Founder & Executive Director, 1455). Live captioning was available for this event.
Five Things You Need To Write Powerful And Evocative Poetry
An Interview with Sean Murphy by Authority Magazine's Heidi Sander
Be vulnerable. Most of us put up a variety of barriers to protect our feelings, and in an increasingly online world, we curate our personal brands like full-time marketing departments. This is fatal to effective poetry. The work that matters reminds readers that few of our thoughts or feelings (particularly ones involving fear or insecurity) are unique; we all have relatable struggles...
Sean Murphy's 2022
CREATIVE RECAP
So, what’s next? It’s possible this endeavor could continue to evolve and grow in the right ways, or we might eventually face the reality that running an arts-oriented non-profit that doesn’t sell anything is never going to be feasible as a business proposition.