15 Questions In (Less Than) 15 Minutes
Get a glimpse into what makes your favorite creative types tick—from the storytellers who inspired them. Discover the weird habits that accompany the practice of making art, their favorite places in the world, their influences, superstitions, and more. Sean Murphy, Executive Director of 1455, poses 15 questions in (less than) 15 minutes in this fast-paced and insightful series.
The Questions
- The first book that made you want to be a writer?
(Or: what book changed your life?) - Your most profound artistic influence is?
- Album or movie you recommend without reservation?
- Best first (or last) line in any book, ever?
- Most underrated author?
- Why have you not read MOBY DICK?
(Or, which classic do you regret not reading?) - Is there a single theme or issue your work addresses?
- What’s your writing routine? (Or: do you believe in them?)
- Do you believe in writer’s block?
- Talk about the most significant setback (artistic or otherwise)
in your life? - How have you developed your career?
- Define or explain what literary success means to you.
- What do you wish you had known, as an artist, 10 or 20 years ago?
- Have you ever visited a writers retreat?
(If not, why; if so, how was your experience?) - One-minute exhortation for beginning writer looking for advice?
An Interview with Sean Murphy
Get to know 1455's Founder and Executive Director 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.
An Interview with Douglas Stuart
Get to know Douglas Stuart, the Scottish-American author of Shuggie Bain, a finalist for the National Book Award. He wrote Shuggie Bain over a ten year period and is currently at work on his second novel, Loch Awe. His short stories, Found Wanting, and The Englishman, were published in The New Yorker magazine. His essay, Poverty, Anxiety, and Gender in Scottish Working-Class Literature was published by Lit Hub. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he has an MA from the Royal College of Art in London and since 2000 he has lived and worked in New York City.
An Interview with Deesha Philyaw
Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES focuses on Black women, sex, and the Black church. Deesha is also the co-author of Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce, written in collaboration with her ex-husband. Her work has been listed as Notable in the Best American Essays series.
An Interview with Lou Bayard
Louis Bayard's acclaimed historical novels include COURTING MR. LINCOLN, ROOSEVELT'S BEAST, THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT, THE BLACK TOWER, THE PALE BLUE EYE, and MR. TIMOTHY, as well as the highly praised young-adult novel, LUCKY STRIKES. A New York Times Notable author, he has been nominated for both the Edgar and Dagger awards, and his story, “Banana Triangle Six,” was chosen for The Best American Mystery Stories 2018.
An Interview with Karen E. Bender
Get to know Karen E. Bender, the author of the story collection Refund, which was a Finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction in 2015, shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize and longlisted for the Story prize.
An Interview with Angie Kim
Meet Angie Kim, the debut author of the national bestseller MIRACLE CREEK, a literary courtroom drama that has been named an IndieNext and LibraryReads pick, a Best Book of 2019 So Far by Time Magazine and Amazon, a Washington Post Summer Reads selection, and a Top 10 AppleBooks Debuts of the Year. Her writing has appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Salon, and Slate.
An Interview with Jane Friedman
Get to know Jane Friedman, editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential industry newsletter for authors, and has previously worked for F+W Media and the Virginia Quarterly Review. Jane also maintains an award-winning blog for writers at janefriedman.com
An Interview with Amber Sparks
Amber Sparks is the author of AND I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU: REVENGES and OTHER STORIES; THE UNFINISHED WORLD AND OTHER SHORT STORIES; MAY WE SHED THESE HUMAN BODIES; and is the co-author of the THE DESERT PLACES.
An Interview with Gina Frangello
Get to know Gina Frangello, the author of four books of fiction and a memoir, Blow Your House Down. She has nearly 20 years of experience as an editor, having founded both the independent press Other Voices Books, and the fiction section of the popular online literary community The Nervous Breakdown.
An Interview with Kim Powers
Kim Powers is the author of the new novel Rules for Being Dead, the thriller Dig Two Graves; Capote in Kansas: A Ghost Story; and the critically acclaimed memoir The History of Swimming, which was both a Barnes & Noble “Discover” Selection and a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Best Memoir of the Year.
An Interview with Art Taylor
Art Taylor is the author of the story collection The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense and of the novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel.
An Interview with Stephen P. Kiernan
As a journalist and novelist, Stephen P. Kiernan has had more than four million words in print. Author of the novels Universe of Two, The Baker’s Secret, The Hummingbird and The Curiosity, he has also written the nonfiction books Last Rights and Authentic Patriotism.
An Interview with Jennifer Hillier
Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set. She loves her son, her husband, the Seahawks, and Stephen King.
An Interview with Susan Henderson
Susan Henderson is a Hawthornden International Fellow, a five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and the recipient of an Academy of American Poets Award. She is the author of the novels Up from the Blue and The Flicker of Old Dreams, both published by HarperCollins.
Interested in seeing more 1455 video content?
Subscribe to our channel on 