We are excited to bring the next installment of The 14:55 Interview, a new series that takes a short, but deep dive into the writing life.
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.
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?
The Writers:
Our next three guests, and the video recordings of each interview, are below.
Angie Kim is 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, a Top 10 AppleBooks Debuts of the Year, and winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Her writing has appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Salon, and Slate. She moved from Seoul, Korea, to Baltimore as a preteen, and attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, then practiced as a trial lawyer at Williams & Connolly. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons.
Justen Ahren is a Poet, photographer and musician. His recent book, A MACHINE FOR REMEMBERING, is a collection of poems and photos from his time as a volunteer rescuing refugees arriving by boat to Lesvos, Greece. He is founder and former Director of Noepe Center for the Literary Arts. He teaches writing workshops on Devotion to Writing. For more about him visit justenahren.com and follow on Instagram. (Justen is also teaching the 1455 Workshop Cultivating a Daily Writing Practice.)
Jeanne McCulloch is a former managing editor of The Paris Review, a former senior editor of Tin House, and the founding Editorial Director of Tin House Books. Her memoir, ALL HAPPY FAMILIES, was published by Harper Wave/ Harper Collins in 2018. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. (Jeanne is also teaching the 1455 Workshop Crafting the Personal Essay.)
