Brian Michael Murphy

Brian Michael Murphy can connect with any audience. He has received ovations in small mountain towns and big cities, in art galleries and school auditoriums, in bars and churches, before crowds of all ages and cultural backgrounds. In a profile on the poet, C Magazine said: “Murphy is a well-studied, well-read, world-traveler who is an observer of life. He brings more to the table than just urban bedlam. He soaks in all aspects of the day then creates poetic verses that are as entertaining as they are enlightening......His words and lust for life are mesmerizing, and even though he's a young man, it's apparent he has seen much and is wiser than his years suggest.”

Murphy has indeed “seen much.” Though he spent his childhood in a small Midwestern town, he has spent time in Spain, France, and South Africa, and traveled to many other countries, from Mexico to Morocco. While doing this, he also managed to earn a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Cultural Studies, and receive various awards for his poetry, including the Ohio Arts Council's William Redding Poetry Award and the Lloyd O. Brown Award from the Ohio Board of Regents. He has also had various poems published, most recently in the Birmingham Poetry Review, and has opened for a number of nationally known acts, most recently for Saul Williams. He even co-directed a music video for his memorial track "We Will Look For You in the Stars," for which he managed shoots in Columbus, Ohio and Paris, France (watch it at www.brianmichaelmurphy.com).

The humor, weight, rhythm, and relevance of Brian Michael Murphy’s words have made him a sought-after public speaker. He has given keynote speeches at scholarship competitions, cultural celebrations, and research conferences, often infusing his poetic influences into his talks. He has been hired by nonprofits like City Year, as well as colleges and universities, as an inspirational speaker and performer. A history professor in the audience at one of his recent speeches said: “Brian Michael Murphy is brilliant. His writing and speaking reflect his passion for knowledge and compassion for people. He is a master teacher, and it was my pleasure to listen and learn."

Bring Brian Michael Murphy to your city or town for a poetry performance, and see why so many are already listening to what he has to say.