Original Poem: After Chester Higgins’s “Bowery Denizen, 1985”
Sean MurphyChester Higgins has been using his extraordinary talents for decades to document America (the cities, the country, and all the people who populate it) and the wider world (check out…
Boris the Spider: Farewell to a Fop and a Fraud
So many contemporary pols—particularly right wingers—seem to acknowledge that throwing red meat to the tigers they ride will eventually be insufficient, their half-hearted embrace of the bullshit they spew seen…
Original Poem: South Loudoun Street, Mid-Afternoon Saturday
As part of the ever-evolving 1455 adventure, in 2019 I began spending considerable time in Winchester, VA. I loved being somewhere where you could hear (and sometimes see) the train…
Original Poem: The Insane Dog in the Alley
Abandoned dog lying on the ground This is a sad poem about a sad situation (and one we're all familiar with, as it doesn't just pertain only to our canine…
The American Cauldron
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. We’re…
Original Poem: Howlin’ Wolf’s Harp
It was a huge thrill to have my poem "Billie Holiday's Deathbed" published (and nominated for a Pushcart Prize) by Decolonial Passage and I'm equally happy to see my new…
Original Poem: Hagler vs. Hearns, 1985
My thanks to the excellent journal 805 Lit + Art for publishing my poem Hagler and Hearns, 1985. I'm especially grateful because, let's face it, arguably the only thing more…
The Centennial of Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus had many things to say, and he used his mouth, his pen, his fists, and mostly his music to say them. Of the myriad words that describe Mingus, passionate would…
The Blackened Blues LIVE: Poetry and Music with Sean Murphy and Quentin Walston
The Barns of Rose Hill partnered with 1455 Literary Arts for a special reading with Sean Murphy, who read from his new collection The Blackened Blues, accompanied by pianist Quentin…
A CONVERSATION WITH JENNA BLUM, AUTHOR OF ‘WOODROW ON THE BENCH’
Last night’s continuation of 1455’s Author Series was a profound pleasure on both professional and personal levels. I can accurately describe myself as both fan and friend of the extraordinary…