Reflections on Fiction vs. Memoir
Sean MurphyTen years ago this month, my novel Not To Mention a Nice Life published (and became an Amazon best-seller—yay). Lots of things were different: I was still in the corporate world (in the…
Murphy’s Laws: 54 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 54
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” That, from the ever-quotable Oscar Wilde. Does age impart wisdom? Maybe. It definitely provides opinions. Some of them, perhaps, are worthwhile.…
Original Poem: Impermanence
I’ve written about my mother often, for all the right reasons (I love her, I cherish her memory, she’s a vital part of my ongoing existence, etc.), and I find…
Original Poem: A Middle-Aged Boy Mourns His Mother
I've written about my mother often, for all the right reasons (I love her, I cherish her memory, she's a vital part of my ongoing existence, etc.), and I find…
For My Mother, on Her 80th Birthday
i. August 2002 – August 2023 (August 23, 1943 - August 23, 2023) Twenty-one years, and on what would be her 80th birthday. I’m of course of a certain age…
Original Poem: Sustenance
It's an honor, every time, to have any literary magazine accept your work, and it's an extra thrill when you place work suitable for a certain journal. I'm so happy…
August 2002 – August 2022: Sanctuary
I visited my mother’s grave the first several years for the same reason I used to attend church: it was expected, it was meant to make me feel better, it…
August 2002 – August 2022: Three Poems
The Things Prepping for a Colonoscopy Procedure Prepares You For… The pre-procedure, a to-do list equal parts ordealand ritual preparing you for what will happen, is A preparation of sorts…
August 2002 – August 2022: Gifts & Blessings
i. August 2002 - August 2022 Twenty years. I’m of course of a certain age (and have been for some time now) that just about any event may seem like…
For My Mother on Her Birthday
I’m scared, I said. “It’s okay,” she said. “You know I’ll never leave you, right? I would never leave this place without you.” How many times did she tell me that?…