Do People Really Need Art?

Sean Murphy reflects on storytelling, culture, and human need

Picture this: two literary enthusiasts sitting down to talk shop about books, nonprofits, and why storytelling matters. That’s exactly what happened when Jenna Blum—NYT bestselling author and A Mighty Blaze co-founder—invited me onto her platform to discuss 1455 books, our new publishing venture. We covered the journey from founding 1455 Lit Arts to navigating nonprofit challenges, from leveraging corporate experience to building teams and attracting donors.

Storytelling isn’t a luxury—it’s an absolute necessity, the reason we have food, water, and electricity so we’re living and connecting, not just surviving. I think of the starfish parable: you can’t save them all, but that one is going to live. The table stakes are low: if I fail launching 1455 books, I lose money and street cred, but if it succeeds even modestly, more books from underserved voices come into the world. As a writer and cultural commentator, who am I to complain if I’m not rolling up my sleeves to make a discernible difference?

Visit 1455litarts.org to find out more, get involved, or help support our mission.