What We Talk About When We Talk About Sex (In Fiction)
Sean MurphyWRITING ABOUT SEX is like engaging in sex: it’s hard. Or, it should be. It’s that time of year again, where we can count on three things: shopping-related stress during…
Never Say Die: Celebrating Ozzy at 70
The Prince, on his Throne Happy 70th birthday to Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness. If you'd guessed, circa 1974, or 1984 (or 1994, etc.), that any of…
Welcome to Machine: Why ‘Dead Man’ is Jim Jarmusch’s Masterpiece
Johnny Depp is going to be gone someday, and for those enjoying his work posthumously, an assessment of his enigmatic career—bookended by the cotton candy of 21 Jump Street, and…
My First Time, Revisited
July, 2015: It was my great pleasure to guest-post at The Quivering Pen, a fantastic site for writers (and readers) curated by David Abrams (himself an excellent reader and writer:…
VCLA in the Fairfax County Times
I'm very grateful for the growing excitement around Virginia Center for Literary Arts. This week, we were featured in the Fairfax County Times (text below). Want to get involved? Join…
Original Fiction: Later, That Same Morning
Gratitude to Dash Journal, published by California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), for publishing my (very) short story, "Later, That Same Morning." *** Later, That Same Morning It is still dark.…
Original Poem: Work-in-Progress
This poem was written shortly after I arrived at Noepe, in Martha's Vineyard (where the picture, above, was taken). A meditation of sorts (I hesitate, mostly out of denial, to…
Original Poem: Liz Taylor’s Talents
Reviewing the trashy, lightweight *masterpiece* Hellraisers (about the assorted misadventures of Oliver Reed, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Peter O'Toole), one passage stood out and I've invoked it often: "A…
VCLA: On the Air @95.3 The River
It was my great pleasure to be interviewed as the featured guest on 95.3 The River’s “Tourism Tuesday,” along with Winchester “Tourism Dude” Justin Kerns and Janet Michael, the hostess…
Original Short Fiction: Life Without Onions
I'm grateful to The Chaffin Journal (the annual literary print journal out of Eastern Kentucky University) for publishing this short piece, entitled "Life Without Onions." I'd be negligent to not…