Some Things Considered

Join award-winning author Sean Murphy for conversations with the most accomplished minds spanning the literary, music, and tech industries. Sean brings his decades of experience as a cultural critic, professor, and founder of a literary non-profit to explore and celebrate the ways stories define us as artists and human beings. This podcast peels back the layers of creativity, examining why it matters and how brilliant minds achieve mastery. Each episode features authentic discussions and deep dives into craft, routines, and the personal journeys of successful storytellers.

Season 3 Ep 5 | Ed Simon | The Great American Novel Remains a Work-in-Progress 06/03/2025

Season 3 Ep 5 | Ed Simon | The Great American Novel Remains a Work-in-Progress Today’s guest is Ed Simon, who is the Public Humanities Special Faculty in the English Department of Carnegie Mellon University and the Editor-in-Chief for Belt Magazine and the forthcoming Pittsburgh Review of Books. His essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times and many others. He dropped by to discuss his recent piece from Lit Hub, “American Literature’s White Whale: Why the “great American Novel” is Still Worth Pursuing.” Our conversation tackled this question (spoiler alert: a resounding YES), and explores how the best American novels have had one consistent quality across the centuries: they all, in their way, interrogate and grapple with what America is, and the ways it falls short of its utopian designs. As such, we mention Hawthorne, Melville, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Morrison, and many other notable names, all of whom can make claims to writing the American novel. Inevitably, we talk about narrative, the importance of story not only for creative endeavors (duh), but the ways exceptional storytelling is utilized by politicians, tech oligarchs, and lowly lit nerds. If you are interested in a lively discussion about what makes a good book endure across generations (and cultures and languages), you’ll love this episode, and if you could use a reminder that Moby Dick rules, we’ve got you covered. ABOUT THE GUESTS Read more from Ed Simon: https://lithub.com/american-literatures-white-whale-why-the-great-american-novel-is-still-worth-pursuing ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/36769640

Season 3 Ep 4 | Bill Miller & Leeya Mehta | International Literature as Cultural Force 05/27/2025

Season 3 Ep 4 | Bill Miller & Leeya Mehta | International Literature as Cultural Force Today’s guests are Leeya Mehta and Bill Miller, both of whom I admire as friends, artists, teachers, and occasional collaborators. Bill directed the creative writing program at George Mason University for more than two dozen years, and helped establish the Alan Cheuse Center. Leeya is the current Director of the Center, and is also a prize-winning poet, fiction writer and essayist. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Cheuse Center, and we talk about how this beloved institution went from idea to thriving cultural force. Bill and Leeya share a genuine passion for community and connection, and their combined super power is generating awareness of—and enthusiasm for—international literature. We discuss the thrills, challenges, and opportunities inherent in operating a center that serves students, artists, and the wider community. We also assess the role of teachers, advocates, and creatives in uncertain times (hint: we agree this is vital work, always, but especially when powerful forces are doing their worst to stymie and silence expression). You’ll come away from this conversation informed, inspired, and hopefully fired up. ABOUT THE GUESTS Learn more about Bill and the Cheuse Center here: Learn more about Leeya here: ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/36389730

Season 3 Ep 3 | Jessa Crispin | Cultural Criticism as Political Project 05/20/2025

Season 3 Ep 3 | Jessa Crispin | Cultural Criticism as Political Project Today’s guest is Jessa Crispin, one of my favorite go-to sources for cultural insight and inspiration. She’s the author of Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto, and The Dead Ladies Project. Currently, she is editor-in-chief of the awesome publication The Culture We Deserve. Jessa joins me to talk about everything from the present state of American politics, to how both class and education remain ubiquitous yet oddly—and annoyingly—under-discussed topics in our media, and especially amongst progressives. Jessa, suffice it to say, is a much-needed voice, and one more self-satisfied and myopic critics and opinion writers should pay attention to. We inevitably discuss craft and why effective narrative works, not only via essays, but political campaigns. We also compare notes on the challenges and opportunities of maintaining an online brand, building a community amongst creatives, and why it’s always been difficult to carve out a viable (much less paying) gig as a writer. Jessa is always refreshing, provocative, challenging, and honest, and I hope everyone tuning in becomes a fan and spreads the word. ABOUT JESSA CRISPIN Learn more about Jessa at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/36389295

Season 3 Ep 2 | Matthew Shipp | Visions of Icons & Artistry 05/06/2025

Season 3 Ep 2 | Matthew Shipp | Visions of Icons & Artistry Today’s guest is American avant-garde jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Matthew Shipp. Prolific and critically adored, Shipp has been praised by eclectic musicians ranging from David Bowie to Henry Rollins, and has recorded with virtually every significant contemporary jazz musician. Matthew joined me to talk about his new book Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings, which covers decades of his writing on subjects ranging from jazz icons, his own influences, and his voracious appetite for art and culture of all kinds. Matthew has many opinions, all of them deeply held and informed, and he shared his thoughts on everything from authenticity, discipline, community, and how to cultivate a creative existence. We also reminisced about the New York City scene of the mid 1980s, which was a much dirtier, diverse, and nurturing place; Matthew was part of a world where one might bump into anyone from John Zorn to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Matthew also talks about his discography, which is wide-ranging—from solo to trio and quartet work, as well as his cross-genre experimentations (some of which, from the early 2000’s, are among my favorite albums, particularly his collaborations with geniuses such as David S. Ware, William Parker, and DJ Spooky). This conversation, like Matthew’s music, went in many different directions, and anyone can learn a great deal from the trail Shipp has blazed. MORE FROM MATTHEW SHIPP ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/36373925

Season 3 Ep 1 | Jacob Silverman | Crypto, Chaos, & the Culture War 04/29/2025

Season 3 Ep 1 | Jacob Silverman | Crypto, Chaos, & the Culture War Today’s guest is Jacob Silverman, who is an independent journalist and co-author of the New York Times bestseller Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. He writes often about the politics of technology, the media, and is a contributing editor for The Baffler and The New Republic. Jacob and I compare notes on how we saw the 2024 election unfold (including predictions and assumptions we—and most journalists—made), and some of the myriad things that are different with Trump 2.0. One particular topic we go deep on is the unsettling, recent development of MAGA-supporting tech oligarchs, and how that money and influence has virtually reshaped our culture. We also take a crack at a personal obsession, which is why—and how—the Democrats have historically been so inept at crafting compelling or effective messaging. We also cover the ways technology is impacting everything from politics and academia to the arts. Jacob also has long been an astute observer of social media (in general) and the ways it at once connects and disrupts a global audience. Check out why I’ve been a big fan of Jacob, and see why you should begin following him, and look forward to his next book, coming later in 2025! ABOUT JACOB SILVERMAN You can learn more about Jacob at https://www.jacobsilverman.com ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/36300300

Season 2 Ep 10 | Jane Friedman | The Truth About AI and the Future of Writing 03/04/2025

Season 2 Ep 10 | Jane Friedman | The Truth About AI and the Future of Writing Today’s guest is Jane Friedman who, if you have even casually followed anything to do with book publishing and the state of the literary industry during the last two decades, you already know—and appreciate. Jane has been the consensus go-to for insights on trends, developments, and how to build a platform in the 21st Century. Named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023, Jane has been featured across countless media outlets, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, BBC, NPR, and many others. Her guide The Business of Being a Writer is the book I most often recommend to anyone looking to get a handle on an industry that, while always evolving, is primarily driven by the same people: those writing and those seeking good writing. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Jane on many occasions, dating back to when I was an analyst for the technology industry (and we chatted about such new-fangled developments as eReaders and blogs!). Every time I speak with Jane, I learn new things about a world I’m deeply involved—and invested—in, so I can’t overstate how invaluable her perspective is. In this episode of Some Things Considered we cover what to be excited and/or concerned about (hint: people are still buying books!), how writers can and should balance their priorities as they relate to writing vs. marketing, we assess the health of lit mags, and inevitably, we talk a bit about AI. This conversation will, in sum, illustrate why Jane is my annual MVP of all-things literary. ABOUT JANE FRIEDMAN Learn more about Jane's work at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/35485105

Season 2 Ep 9 | Grant Shonkwiler | How Storytelling Powers Best-Selling Games 02/25/2025

Season 2 Ep 9 | Grant Shonkwiler | How Storytelling Powers Best-Selling Games Today’s guest is Grant Shonkwiler who, if you’ve been following the gaming industry during the last couple of decades, you already know as the legend he is. For those unfamiliar, Grant has built his reputation as a programmer, lead designer, technical producer, leadership coach, and author. (Even if you aren’t personally a gaming enthusiast, it’s almost impossible you’ve not heard of Doom and Fortnite—just two of the massively popular and influential projects Grant has worked on!) For today’s discussion, Grant reviews his career trajectory—from apprentice to master, from fan to mentor—through the consistent influences of curiosity and passion. In addition to insights provided about how best-selling games go from conception to execution to marketing, Grant also explains how storytelling impacts all aspects of the business. We also explore how technology is often if not always challenging (and challenged) before it becomes embraced and adopted; one could look at the ways gaming has—and hasn’t—changed and make myriad comparisons to the movie, music, and book industries. Perhaps the most critical ingredient of everything Grant has accomplished is an understanding that one can only succeed (as a gamer, as a writer, as a consultant) if one is able to make genuine connections: authenticity, along with curiosity and passion, is the special sauce that makes special things happen. ABOUT GRANT SHONKWILER Learn more about Grant at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/35364100

Season 2 Ep 8 | Karen E. Bender & Robert Anthony Siegel | How to Adapt & Thrive as a Writer 02/11/2025

Season 2 Ep 8 | Karen E. Bender & Robert Anthony Siegel | How to Adapt & Thrive as a Writer Today’s guests are dynamic duo and my favorite creative husband and wife team Karen E. Bender and Robert Anthony Siegel. Karen is author of the story collection Refund, which was a Finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in Fiction and also a Los Angeles Times bestseller. Her third collection of stories, The Words of Dr. L, will be published by Counterpoint Press in May, 2025. Robert is a writer, writing coach, and author of the memoir Criminals and two novels, All Will Be Revealed, and All the Money in the World. In addition, they have taught creative writing at the college level for more than two decades and are deeply dedicated literary citizens. During our very busy conversation, we covered their recent—and forthcoming—writing, how teaching has changed (and, importantly, the ways it hasn’t), and how the state of the literary industry is ever-evolving. Key themes involve the necessity of adapting, embracing available technologies, and why community is a necessary, if often overlooked component of the artistic existence. Karen and Robert remain positive forces of inspiration, because they consistently operate at the highest levels of achievement (as writers, as teachers), but they are also incredibly kind and generous human beings; we need their example more than ever right now. Please enjoy this wonderful conversation! ABOUT KAREN E. BENDER & ROBERT ANTHONY SIEGEL Learn more about Karen's work at Learn more about Robert's work at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber at ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/35153595

Season 2 Ep 7 | Hannah Grieco | A Literary Powerhouse on Writing & Motherhood 02/04/2025

Season 2 Ep 7 | Hannah Grieco | A Literary Powerhouse on Writing & Motherhood Today’s guest is Hannah Grieco, who, using baseball terminology is a five tool player: she’s a writer, a teacher, an editor, an advocate, and a literary citizen extraordinaire. She is also one of my favorite creative people, managing to be insanely productive (and successfully published!), but also a devoted mother, friend, and cheerleader for the arts. You may have read her work in The Washington Post, or Huffington Post, or The Rumpus, or in any number of other highly regarded lit journals. Her writing has been nominated for Best American Essays, The Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfiction. It’s been my pleasure to collaborate with Hannah many times, via , and—proving the literary community in DC is tight and supportive—many of the other organizations and authors we know and support. Hannah, as I mention in this conversation, is a rare and refreshing person who’s incapable of dishonesty; this shines through in her work, but is also what makes her such an indefatigable champion for other people’s work. She’s got opinions (which is good), and they are all informed and insightful (which is better), and we check in on the state of our industry, academia, constant hustle being the “new normal” for creatives, and how to find balance between writing, life, and the daily grind. Hannah keeps it real in every sense of the word, and I hope—if you’re not yet familiar with her—you’ll become a fan once you hear her. She’s got wisdom to share, and while no one could copy her, everyone should be inspired by her example. Please enjoy this action-packed conversation! ABOUT GUEST HANNAH GRIECO Learn more about Hannah's work at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/35070980

Season 2 Ep 6 | Jordan Blum | Prog Rock, Honest Criticism, & Mastering Modern Media 01/28/2025

Season 2 Ep 6 | Jordan Blum | Prog Rock, Honest Criticism, & Mastering Modern Media Today’s guest is Jordan Blum, a writer and critic I admire and hold up as an ideal example for anyone who is trying to figure out how to navigate an ever-evolving media landscape. I first met Jordan more than a decade ago when we both were columnists for PopMatters—contributing features, reviews, and interviews on everything from music and books to movies and politics. Jordan, like myself, is a music fanatic and it’s illuminating (and, yes, inspiring) to hear him discuss his early forays into criticism, his first bylines, and his maturation as a widely published editor and subject matter expert. He and I share an obsession with prog rock, and during our conversation we explore how it’s necessary to be honest, even when writing about a beloved band or musician (especially if it’s not a positive review). Jordan holds an MFA in fiction and teaches composition and creative writing at several colleges/universities. Beyond that, he’s a past or present contributor to Grammy.com, Metal Injection, MetalSucks, PROG magazine, Consequence, WhatCulture, Loudwire, and Kerrang! Finally, his three books (On Track: Jethro Tull, On Track: Opeth, and On Track: Dream Theater) were published by Sonicbond Publishing. ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Subscribe to Some Things Considered at ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34971915

Season 2 Ep 5 | Justen Ahren | Creativity, Community, & Devotion to Art 01/21/2025

Season 2 Ep 5 | Justen Ahren | Creativity, Community, & Devotion to Art Today’s guest is Justen Ahren, a photographer, poet, musician and writing workshop facilitator. I met Justen at the Noepe Center a decade ago, and he and I share—among other things—a passion for writing and how to push creative boundaries, the rewards of cultivating communities (both in and outside artistic spaces), and balancing how to make a living and how to suck the marrow out of life, as Thoreau encouraged. Justen has, in addition to running the Noepe Center and producing his own work across multiple genres, been developing his Devotion to Writing program, which is at once a series of workshops, part of 1455’s Moveable Feast series, and an entire philosophy—and we talk in depth about what he’s done and plans to do going forward. Speaking of Thoreau, Justen is the best contemporary comp for that American icon, although he’s as gregarious and positive as Thoreau was austere and solitary; he is fascinated by the ways our natural world compliments and encourages creativity, and once you’ve seen him in his day-to-day routine, his multi-faceted talents come into sharp, spectacular focus. Justen’s photographs are held in several private collections, and have been exhibited in both solo and group shows and at Miner Family Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard. He is Emeritus Poet Laureate of Martha’s Vineyard and founder of Noepe Center of Literary Arts. He has received two commissions for poetry from Wendy Taucher Dance Theater Opera, and one from John Sims’ Afro Dixie Project. His two poetry collections are A Strange Catechism (2013) and A Machine for Remembering (2019). ABOUT GUEST JUSTEN AHREN Learn more about Justen's work at ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: YouTube: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34894975

Season 2 Ep 4 | Holly Karapetkova | Poet Laureate to Professor: Art Advocacy & Higher Education 01/14/2025

Season 2 Ep 4 | Holly Karapetkova | Poet Laureate to Professor: Art Advocacy & Higher Education Today’s guest is the poet, professor, and arts advocate Holly Karapetkova. If you’ve been following anything I do, especially the year-round free programming of 1455, you already know Holly, because she is one of my favorite people and someone to whom I always take the opportunity to speak with: speaking with her on any topic is always enlightening and inspiring, and the primary purpose of today’s conversation is celebrating her forthcoming poetry collection, and comparing notes on the state of higher education. Holly brings informed opinions based on decades of classroom experience, and she has only become more committed to effective teaching. In a profession that breeds burnout and cynicism like few others, Holly is entirely dedicated to reaching each new crop of undergrads, all of whom bring their own personal and cultural baggage, and molding not only better minds, but better human beings. Holly is Poet Laureate Emerita of Arlington County and the recipient of a 2022 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. She is the author of two books of poetry, Words We Might One Day Say, winner of the 2010 Washington Writers’ Publishing House Poetry Award, and Towline, winner of the 2016 Vern Rutsala Poetry Contest from Cloudbank Books. Her third book, Dear Empire, was recently selected as co-winner of the 2024 Barry Spacks Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from Gunpowder Press. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in English and Comparative Literature and teaches at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. --- MORE ABOUT GUEST HOLLY KARAPETKOVA Learn more about Holly's work at https://www.karapetkova.com --- ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Tune in and subscribe at seanmurphy.live --- ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: seanmurphy.net Substack: seanmurphy.live Twitter: @bullmurph Instagram: @bullmurph Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41 /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34761145

Season 2 Ep 3 | Louis Bayard | #1 Netflix Novelist Tells Oscar Wilde's Story 01/07/2025

Season 2 Ep 3 | Louis Bayard | #1 Netflix Novelist Tells Oscar Wilde's Story Today’s guest is Louis Bayard, the critically beloved and ever popular novelist, whose novel The Pale Blue Eye was adapted into the global #1 Netflix release starring Christian Bale. I’m honored to call Lou a friend, but I’ve been a fan since long before I met him, and it was a true pleasure to name him 1455’s Storyteller of the Year in 2022. The New York Times has written that Lou “reinvigorates historical fiction,” rendering the past “as if he’d witnessed it firsthand.” Anyone familiar with his work knows Lou combines brilliant storytelling with deep research, and his titles include like Courting Mr. Lincoln, Roosevelt’s Beast, The Black Tower, and Jackie & Me (ranked by the Washington Post as one of the top novels of 2022). A former instructor at George Washington University, his reviews and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Salon, and Lo is also a contributing writer to the Washington Post Book World. Lou is, quite simply, one of the most productive, respected, and erudite writers of our times, and to top it off, he’s also one of the nicest human beings, in the literary or wider world. We connected to discuss his latest novel, The Wildes, which Joyce Carole Oates praises as “a boldly audacious re-visioning of the martyrdom of Oscar Wilde, one which would have astonished Wilde himself.” We talk about his painstaking research (which fuels all his work), his indefatigable imagination, the routines and habits of any successful writer, and what it’s like to see famous actors playing roles he created. An hour is never enough with Lou, but this conversation is a continuation of an ongoing dialogue I look forward to continuing soon. --- ABOUT GUEST LOUIS BAYARD Learn more about Lou's work at --- ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Tune in and subscribe at seanmurphy.live --- ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: seanmurphy.net Substack: seanmurphy.live Twitter: @bullmurph Instagram: @bullmurph Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41 /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34673460

Season 2 Ep 2 | Charles Bock | Writing Success in the Age of Overload 12/17/2024

Season 2 Ep 2 | Charles Bock | Writing Success in the Age of Overload Today’s guest is Charles Bock, author of the new memoir I Will Do Better, as well as the novels Alice & Oliver and Beautiful Children (which as a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book, and which won the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters). His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, and in numerous anthologies. Our discussion covered Charles’s experience, thus far, with his memoir (which, it should be stated, has garnered uniformly positive and enthusiastic reviews), but we also found time to discuss the state of “the industry” (as those of us who live in and struggle to define it say), and how a combination of info-overload, technological toys, and changing priorities make 2024 a particularly challenging time for creatives. We go deep into the tenuous academic model, which used to provide established writers stable pathways toward employment; for a variety of reasons (many of them due to our ever dysfunctional late-capitalist model), these opportunities have shrunk considerably, and even for those who have found success inside and outside the classroom, there’s a discernible air of uncertainty. We also come around, as all serious writers should and must, to the purpose of the work itself, and the need to eliminate distraction, and the pursuit of evanescent praise (see: social media). Charles, in short, has a refreshing old school sensibility, but he’s a vital contemporary artist who we all can learn from and be inspired by. ABOUT GUEST CHARLES BOCK Learn more about Charles at charlesbock.net ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Tune in and subscribe at seanmurphy.live ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: seanmurphy.net Substack: seanmurphy.live Twitter: @bullmurph Instagram: @bullmurph Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41 /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34473160

Season 2 Ep 1 | Austin Smith | The Corporatization of Colleges is an Epic Fail 12/10/2024

Season 2 Ep 1 | Austin Smith | The Corporatization of Colleges is an Epic Fail We kick off Season 2 of Some Things Considered with a conversation continued from real life in real time. If you are in any way involved with (in no particular order) academia, writing, or the insanity of late-stage capitalism on a micro level, you might have read about what’s going on at Stanford, and the debacle occurring in their Creative Writing program. Long story short: just as professors were preparing for the fall semester, they were notified (via Zoom, because of course) that the non-tenured teachers who account for most of the courses being taught to undergrads were being “future-fired” (meaning they would keep their jobs for a year or two and then be summarily dismissed from their duties, not for cause or because of financial constraints, but just…because). There’s a lot to unpack here, and I first heard rumblings about this unsavory development a couple of months ago; the other week there was an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education that broke down the situation in detail, and featured insights from Austin Smith, a beloved and well-published teacher who is at once appalled and blindsided by the university’s myopic decision. I naturally wanted to provide him an opportunity to share his experiences, and while we certainly discuss Stanford’s shenanigans, we also contextualize what’s happening as part of a much larger and ugly pattern we’re seeing in academia, specifically within Humanities departments, and both how and why the always-tenuous circumstances of creatives who love teaching is becoming a genuine crisis. Hint: in almost all cases, this is not because of budget cuts or hardships; it’s because of administrative bloat and the egregious ways colleges have been emulating the worst aspects of corporate culture. Austin is, in almost every way, the Platonic ideal of a contemporary professor: learned, passionate, and he actually, deeply cares about students. Sounds like someone a university should try to retain at all costs, right? I invite you not only to enjoy this conversation to learn more about Austin, but to get a better appreciation of what so many teachers (especially our ill-treated adjuncts who are trying to stay afloat in a system that’s equal parts abusive and dysfunctional), and to spread the word and get involved. https://www.chronicle.com/article/at-stanford-a-change-to-creative-writing-feels-personal?sra=true --- ABOUT GUEST AUSTIN SMITH Learn more about Austin at --- ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Tune in and subscribe at seanmurphy.live --- ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY Website: Substack: seanmurphy.live Twitter: @bullmurph Instagram: @bullmurph Facebook: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/1df9402e-1551-4f27-8427-eb17a122b31a/id/34265065