Join us at 5:30pm on Thursday October 5 for a poetry reading in the gardens of the Peter Bullough Foundation with poet, executive director of 1455 Literary Arts, and author of Rhapsodies in Blue, Sean Murphy. Following his first collection The Blackened Blues, his latest is the second installment of a large and ongoing project exploring America through a series of poems that function as biography, history, and cultural commentary. The work honors a variety of artistic icons, some well-known, others unjustly obscure, and seeks to capture something essential about their lives, bearing witness while paying homage. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free thanks to the gracious sponsorship of First Bank and the Marion Park Lewis Foundation for the Arts.
EVENT DETAILS
OCTOBER 5 | 5:30 PM | Peter Bullough Foundation
ABOUT Sean
Sean Murphy is founder of the non-profit 1455 Lit Arts. He has appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and been publishing reviews and essays for the last two decades. His third collection of poems, Kinds of Blue, and his first collection of short stories, This Kind of Man, are forthcoming in 2024. He has been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize, twice for Best of Net, and his book Please Talk about Me When I’m Gone was the winner of Memoir Magazine’s 2022 Memoir Prize.
Website: seanmurphy.net | bullmurph.com
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
ABOUT Rhapsodies in Blue
RHAPSODIES IN BLUE is the second installment of a large and ongoing project that explores America (its mythology, its possibility) through a series of poems that function as biography, history, and cultural commentary. Continuing where THE BLACKENED BLUES left off, this collection honors a variety of artistic icons, some well-known, others unjustly obscure, and seeks to capture something essential about their lives, bearing witness while paying homage.
America has always been a cauldron of inconsistencies; so often in our history we’ve ended up with brilliance, tolerance, and progress only after every other option has been exhausted. It seems instructive—and inspiring—to consider that, to take only one from many other examples, this country, which beats and stymies its best citizens, is capable of producing the geniuses who invented and perfected jazz and blues music. Despite every systemic disadvantage and all the obstacles placed in their paths, these musicians lived, played, persevered, and became immortal. Any country that can claim Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Howlin’ Wolf is worth preserving, and celebrating.
ABOUT 1455
At 1455, storytellers are sacred, and we’re dedicated to showcasing the written word and other forms of creative expression. Curating community through year-round free programming, 1455 connects art and audience via intimate conversations and the promotion of diverse voices. Taking our name from the year Gutenberg’s printing press helped democratize content on a global scale, 1455 continues the tradition of using technology to advance an understanding and appreciation of impactful storytelling. 1455 exists to serve anyone who appreciates the arts and is interested in the sort of community commonly found only in academia or online book clubs. Every day, 1455 will augment the passion for the literary and creative arts in adults and young people through programs that sponsor expression, education, and sharing of stories.
Website: 1455litarts.org
Twitter: @1455litarts
Instagram: @1455litarts
Facebook: facebook.com/1455litarts
ABOUT Peter Bullough Foundation
Dr. Bullough established his eponymous foundation with the lofty goal of “saving civilization through the power of the arts.” Learn more below about our mission and how, as a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit, we strive toward this vision. We support emerging artists and the arts by providing interdisciplinary residencies, hosting workshops, lectures, and events, and sharing the rare book and art collections of the late Dr. Peter Bullough.
Website: peterbulloughfoundation.org
Instagram: @peterbulloughfoundation
Facebook: facebook.com/peterbulloughfoundation
