Some Things Considered with Sean Murphy

A few things became clear in my conversation with Teddy Wayne. First: literary success is far more fragile than most people imagine. One acclaimed book doesn't guarantee the next one. A glowing review doesn't pay the mortgage. Even celebrated writers often live with a nagging fear that their best work may already be behind them. Second: the economics of writing continue to worsen. Fewer reviews. F...

What happens when one of the most intellectually fearless writers working today sits down to talk about: * Dostoyevsky’s dialogic voice * Frankenstein as misunderstood creation myth * AI and the future of creativity * Illness as altered consciousness * Capitalism’s grip on media and academia This conversation moves from 19th-century Russia to present-day neural networks — but the real subject is t...

On this episode of Some Things Considered , I spoke with Walt Hunter — senior associate dean at Case Western Reserve University, professor of 20th- and 21st-century literature, poetry editor at The Atlantic , and author of the poetry collection Some Flowers . The conversation began with the Atlantic essay that prompted the invitation: “Stop Meeting Students Where They Are.” It’s a provocative titl...

In this episode of Some Things Considered , the conversation centers on icon, actor, performer, and now memoirist Gina Gershon — a career artist whose new book, Alpha Pussy , reflects on four decades in the entertainment industry and the life that shaped it. Rather than a conventional Hollywood tell-all, this book reveals something deeper: Gershon’s career has been defined as much by what she refu...

On this week’s episode, I had a wide-ranging, bracing conversation with Stephen Marche on Some Things Considered —a writer I’ve admired since his Esquire days, and one whose work feels more urgent by the year. We focused on two recent books that feel both timely and enduring: The Next Civil War and On Writing and Failure . A few key threads from our conversation: * The Next Civil War now reads les...

Had the pleasure of sitting down with John Lingan on Some Things Considered to talk about his new book, Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in 15 Drummers — and I can’t recommend it highly enough. A few highlights from our conversation: * Drummers are the perfect lens for understanding rock history: feel, time, culture, and collaboration all live at the kit. * John Bonham vs. Charlie Watts isn’t...

Today’s episode features writer and teacher Shane Hinton , author of Pinkies , Radio Dark , Other Shane Hintons , and editor of We Can’t Help It If We’re From Florida . His work blends the absurd, the uncanny, and the deeply human—often with Florida as both setting and state of mind. We dove into two big threads: his fantastic Lit Hub essay “Why I Give My Books Away for Free” and the larger questi...

In this episode of Some Things Considered, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sara Stibitz —NYT-bestselling collaborative writer, author of Writing on Purpose , and creator of the Substack A Ladder to the Stars —about creativity, narrative, and how story shapes everything we do. We went deep and wide, and some of the highlights include: * Sara’s relationship to story: Why storytelling is central...

In this episode, I talk with journalist and author Chris Colin, whose work in The New York Times , The Atlantic , and the WSJ explores the strange, frustrating, and revealing corners of modern life. We cover some of his recent journalism–and the experiences that inspired them, as well as the contemporary state of all-things literary. Some key takeaways include: * His New York Times story “You’re G...

This episode of Some Things Considered features the always-brilliant Jenna Blum, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of Those Who Save Us , The Stormchasers , The Lost Family , Woodrow on the Bench , and her forthcoming psychological thriller Murder Your Darlings (out January 2026). It’s a wide-ranging, candid conversation about writing across genres, the realities of literary s...

In this episode, I speak with award-winning author and Johns Hopkins writing professor Tim Wendel, whose books include Summer of ’68 , Castro’s Curveball , Cancer Crossings , and his newest novel Rebel Falls . Tim is productive, well-read, and well-traveled, so our conversation inexorably covered a great deal of ground, and some topics include: * Baseball & storytelling: How the game shaped Tim’s...

In this episode, I speak with Stephanie Shepard, Executive Director of Last Prisoner Project. She was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a first-time, nonviolent cannabis offense and now leads the Last Prisoner Project (LPP). Her story—and her advocacy—reveals the human cost of the War on Drugs and the urgent need for restorative justice. Some key takeaways from our conversation include:...

Some Things Considered returns with our fifth season, and we could not be more excited. Episode One features Matthew Davis, with whom I speak about his new book Biography of a Mountain , an in-depth examination of Mt. Rushmore as both a monument and a metaphor for America. Drawing on years of research and personal engagement with the Black Hills, Davis unpacks the layered histories, mythologies, a...

What is the role of literary fiction in 2025? Is it simply escapism, or is it something deeper — a mirror to the world we inhabit, a lens on its inequities, contradictions, and quiet truths? In my latest episode of Some Things Considered , I spoke with Karen E. Bender, National Book Award finalist and author of The Words of Dr. L , to explore these questions. Karen’s new collection is a meditation...

In this episode of Some Things Considered, I’m joined by Caroline Bock and Jona Colson, co-presidents of Washington Writers’ Publishing House . They are two of my favorite DC-area writers and advocates, but today we gather to discuss–and celebrate–the publication of a brand new anthology “America’s Future: poetry & prose in response to tomorrow.” Caroline is the author of the story collection “Car...

In this episode of Some Things Considered , I sit down with Karen Eber — TED speaker, award-winning author of The Perfect Story , and former Fortune 500 executive whose talks have reached millions worldwide. Karen specializes in the science and skill of storytelling, helping leaders and creatives alike use stories to inform, influence, and inspire. The conversation explores: * The science of story...

In this episode, I’m joined by Lisa Cooper Ellison—author, speaker, trauma-informed writing coach, and host of Writing Your Resilience . Lisa works at the intersection of storytelling and healing, using her personal experiences and clinical training to help writers transform difficult life events into meaningful art. Her work has appeared in The New York Times , HuffPost , Risk! , and more. She re...

In this wide-ranging, high-energy conversation, I’m overjoyed to connect with old pal Whitney Matheson—one of the most important and beloved pop culture writers of the past 25 years. Best known as the creator of Pop Candy , the groundbreaking USA Today blog that ran from 1999–2014, Whitney has built a career out of curiosity, enthusiasm, and the art of connecting people to the culture they love. T...

This week on Some Things Considered I’m joined by Robert Rodriguez—award-winning author, creator of the Something About the Beatles podcast, and one of the most prolific and insightful chroniclers of the Fab Four and their cultural universe. Robert has written or contributed to more than a dozen books, including Solo in the '70s , The Beatles FAQ series, and the critically acclaimed Revolver: How...

What does it really take to break through the noise and get your book noticed? In this episode, I talk with Leah Paulos, founder of Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School. With 25+ years in the literary publicity world, Leah has worked on campaigns for authors like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, and Neil deGrasse Tyson — and now she’s using that experience to demystify the PR process for author...

Today on STC , I’m joined by someone I’ve had the pleasure of working with (and learning from) for years: Gregg Wilhelm , Director of Mason Creative Writing, co-founder of Watershed Lit, and long-time literary advocate and publishing pro. Gregg’s experience spans every corner of the literary world—from launching presses to running CityLit, mentoring students, and staying in the fray as the arts fa...

Today’s guest is the acclaimed Ethiopian American novelist and writer Dinaw Mengestu, whose award-winning work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine , The Wall Street Journal , and many other outlets. He currently directs the Written Arts program at Bard College and has been recognized as a MacArthur Fellow among numerous other honors. I first encountered Dinaw at a recent event hosted by George Mason...

This week, I was delighted to be joined by Emma Sarappo, senior associate editor at The Atlantic , where she writes and commissions coverage on books, poetry, and literary culture. Formerly the arts editor at Washington City Paper , Emma’s work has also appeared in Preservation , Pacific Standard , Washingtonian , The Bitter Southerner , and beyond. In other words: she’s the real deal, and she’s g...

We’re back. And I can’t think of a better or more necessary guest to kick off Season 4 of STC than the poet Richard Blanco. If you’ve been reading or listening to me for any length of time, you know I believe in the power of storytelling—not only to entertain or inspire, but to bear witness, raise the stakes, and push the culture forward. That’s why this conversation means so much to me, and why I...

Season 3 of Some Things Considered wrapped up a remarkable run that continued to peel back the layers of how creativity works—from the personal routines and philosophies of master storytellers to the broader cultural currents shaping art and expression in America today. Hosted by award-winning author and cultural critic Sean Murphy, Some Things Considered remained a weekly podcast and Substack new...