Rich Murphy, from Volume 3:1

Derek Walcott remarked thus on Rich Murphy’s poetry: “Mr. Murphy is a very careful craftsman in his work, a patient and testing intelligence, one of those writers who knows precisely what he wants his style to achieve. His poetry is quiet but packed, carefully wrought, not surrealistically wild, and its range not limited but deliberately narrow. It takes aim.”

Murphy has taught writing and literature at several colleges and universities. His books include Americana (2013), Voyeur (2008), and The Apple in the Monkey Tree (2007). He lives in Marblehead, MA.

Synesthesia Literary Journal Volume 3:1 features two poems by Murphy – “Distant Destiny” and “Modern Author.” These pieces walk a fine line between timidity and wildness.

From “Modern Author”:

Ancestors built houses using

symbols available from the dead.

Today, the box owner maintains

the windowless prison cell

when so much emptiness invites

creativity.

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Head on over to Synesthesia Literary Journal Volume 3:1 to read Murphy's work in full!