SOUTH ORANGE/MAPLEWOOD — Michael J. Iantosca is currently living in Asheville, North Carolina. He says it’s beautiful there, but sometimes he misses home – South Orange/Maplewood.
Iantosca grew up in South Orange/Maplewood and attended Columbia High School. He was also a freelance photographer for News–Record.
“It’s a place I know emotionally, as well as geographically,” he said.
In his debut novel, “Is It You?,” there is a hometown connection. Recognizable and historic settings include Columbia High School, South Mountain Reservation, Hemlock Falls, Grunnings, the Maplewood Theater, the train station and Maplewood Memorial Park.
“People will recognize those places,” said Iantosca. “I want it to be more than a background.”
Iantosca feels that Maplewood and South Orange haven’t changed that much. “It’s gotten better,” he said. “The spirit remains the same.”
He recalls being involved with his family in politics. He said, “We always worked hard to make the community better.”
When Iantosca was a freelance photographer for News–Record, he recalled the great floods in Cameron Field. “I swam through Cameron Field to get pictures,” he said. “I was a teenager with a camera around my head in five feet of water.”
While in CHS, Iantosca wrote for the school newspaper. Picking up on writing later, he went to work for ABC-TV in New York City. With 45 years of writing professionally under his belt, “Is it You?” is his first book.
“This story has been festering for many years,” he said. “It’s a deep personal story many can relate to.”
While Iantosca pulled from his life experiences, the book is a work of fiction.
“I want to be pretty clear about that,” he said. “The environment comes from a world I knew really well. There’s much authenticity.”
“Is it You?” is the story of Chase Marino, who believes adulthood will arrive with the keys to his first car. Then he meets Claire Davenport and first love transforms his late-1970s world. The book spans first love, 1980s television, Cold War intrigue, Hollywood ambition and the enduring pull of home.
“It’s a story about love and timing … ambitions,” Iantosca said. “Things many people experience privately but don’t really share. I don’t consider lost love to be a negative thing. It’s what builds you. It’s what you learn from to make you a stronger and better person. I wanted to capture that to share with others. I became interested in how certain people and moments stay with us. Places and choices that remain part of you.”
The most challenging part of being an author, for Iantosca, was that it was emotional writing the book. “Surprisingly so,” he said. “Writing about places I hadn’t thought about in years. How important everything felt back then. I really want it to hit that common nerve that we all share.”
What is especially unique about “Is it You?” is that the novel has its own soundtrack. Iantosca composed original songs with a future screen adaptation in mind. The soundtrack is also called “Is it You?” and is available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes and other streaming platforms. Iantosca is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and has several other published songs.
“Music has always been a creative outlet for me growing up. Music runs deep in my family. Music was always part of our lives. I began hearing music in my head and started writing original songs inspired by the characters and creating the soundtrack,” said Iantosca.
To learn more about Michael J. Iantosca, visit: https://michaeliantosca.com/.
Photo Courtesy of Michael J. Iantosca
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