About Sean

Sean Murphy has been publishing fiction, poetry, reviews (of music, movie, book, food), and essays on the technology industry for over twenty years. He has appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and been quoted in USA Today, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and AdAge. A long-time columnist for PopMatters, his work has also appeared in Salon, The Village Voice, Washington City Paper, The Good Men Project, Memoir Magazine, and others. (Check out a sample of his portfolio here.) His chapbooks The Blackened Blues (Finishing Line Press) and Rhapsodies in Blue (Kelsay Books) were published in 2021 and 2023. His next poetry collection, Kinds of Blue and This Kind of Man, his first collection of short fiction, are forthcoming in 2024. His novel Not To Mention a Nice Life was published in 2015, followed by his first two collections of non-fiction, Murphy’s Law, Vol One and Vol. Two. 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. He served as writer-in-residence of the Noepe Center at Martha’s Vineyard, and is Founding Director of 1455, a non-profit that celebrates storytelling.

Sean and the 1455 Vision

Sean believes deeply in the importance of building and nurturing communities. He founded 1455 to showcase the work of creatives and support the micro communities spanning multiple artistic genres. In a time where industries are consolidating and info-overload makes it increasingly challenging to engage with an audience, Sean is dedicated to forming creative alliances and promoting collaboration between artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses. In addition to the myriad free programs 1455 provides, Sean has initiated a formal workshop series that allows established authors to work directly with aspiring writers and retain all the profits.

Sean is a lifelong and very proud native son of The Old Dominion, and as such the original name Virginia Center for Literary Arts (VCLA) seemed both appropriate and relevant. That was the thinking in 2017, but as this vision has grown and attracted more people from more places (in and outside the Shenandoah Valley), we’ve realized that—intentional or not—branding ourselves as VCLA sends an exclusive message where we’re all about inclusivity. As such, we wanted a name that immediately makes clear what our mission is, who we are, and what we plan to achieve.

1455’s primary focus is inspiring writers to create, focus, and connect with kindred spirits. We have the complementary goal of creating a robust web presence with abundant resources for storytellers, whoever and wherever they are. In this regard, 1455 is neither regional or national, but a truly global enterprise.

As a former analyst for the technology industry, Sean spent a great deal of time discussing—and at times, lamenting—the ways an increasingly digital reality is changing lives, not always for the better. These essays and articles inspired his podcast The Intersection of Innovation and Culture. Over several years and speaking to dozens of experts from the business, artistic, and entertainment fields, Sean developed a thesis about the ways technology, for all its contradictions, has undeniably helped democratize content and creativity; it has also established connections amongst networks that are otherwise unimaginable. The 14:55 Interview series will take a deeper dive into this topic, exploring the ways artists (as well as athletes, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between) use these tools to foster inclusivity and inspiration. Along with our ongoing programs (including our monthly Author Series and annual summer festivals), these interviews and events will contribute to an ongoing and necessary dialogue that explores how we can live more purposeful and productive lives.

Writing and Marketing Books in the Digital Age, Part One

Live at Shenandoah University: 1455’s Sean Murphy on Jazz, Poetry, and Creativity

Memoir Release Reading, 2013