Author Archives: Sean Murphy

About Sean Murphy

SEAN MURPHY (@bullmurph) is the author of Not To Mention a Nice Life and the best-selling memoir Please Talk about Me When I’m Gone. He's a columnist for PopMatters and writes frequently about the technology industry. His work has also appeared in Salon, The Good Men Project, The Village Voice, AlterNet, Web Del Sol, Punchnel’s, and Northern Virginia Magazine. 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. Check him out at seanmurphy.net

The Power of Political Narrative: Part Two, The Dems

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Sean Murphy

While today’s Republican Party has the cowardice of its convictions, the feckless Dems are experts at stepping on their own…message. It may, sadly, be too late for the mid-terms, but can they get on the right side of a true narrative, and history, before 2016? Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged Charley Patton, democrats, George Orwell, I Shall Not Be Moved, Obama, Reagan, Republicans, Richard Harris, Sean Connery, Sean Murphy, The Molly Maguires, The Power of Political Narrative, The Road to Wigan Pier | Leave a comment

The Power of Political Narrative: Part One, The GOP

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Sean Murphy

We know the Democrats consistently drown in a river of good intentions. Why are the Republicans so successful staying on script? They keep it simple, stupid. This is how the Reagan Revolution happened, why it endures, and why it matters today as much as ever. Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, democrats, GOP, politics, Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Sean Murphy, The Gipper, The New Deal, The Power of Political Narrative | 6 Comments

Every Dog Owner Has His Day

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Sean Murphy

Every dog has its day. Every dog owner has one, as well, including the days and months and years that follow the loss of a best friend. Finding a replacement is a matter of timing, luck, postponement, and sometimes it’s simply not possible. Then again, isn’t being irreplaceable the whole point? Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir | Tagged dogs, Leroy Brown, memoir, Sean Murphy | 5 Comments

Borne Back Ceaselessly Into the Past: Steinbeck, Nostalgia, Empathy and Amtrak

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Sean Murphy

What does Amtrak’s writer residency program signify about where we are artistically, culturally, and politically today? In 2014 we’re all about nostalgia, yet America’s infrastructure is slowly falling apart. Sean Murphy investigates. Continue reading →

Posted in Popular Culture, Uncategorized | Tagged 1960s, acela, America, Amtrack, dirty martini, Sean Murphy, writers, writing, Zima | 1 Comment

50 Albums You May Not Know…But Need To Own

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy’s record collection includes these 50 masterpieces. Continue reading →

Posted in 50 Greatest | 20 Comments

What We Talk About When We (Don’t) Talk About Dying

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Sean Murphy

Aside from comfort and serenity, answers are the hardest things to come by when you’re dealing with terminal cancer, writes Sean Murphy. Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir | Tagged cancer, memoir, Please Talk about Me When I'm Gone | 4 Comments

Victory and Sorrow: Bright Moments from Three Masters

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy gives you three compelling reasons to drop what you’re doing and to tune in to some new sounds that will change your views of the smoky underworld of jazz. Continue reading →

Posted in Monday Rock City | Tagged Blues, booker little, Eric Dolphy, Jazz, Music, passion, rahsaan roland kirk, reward, Sean Murphy, soul | 1 Comment