Literary Star Jo Piazza Shines in Fitler Square
Literary Star Jo Piazza Shines in Fitler Square
By James Young
Bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza has made Fitler Square her creative headquarters. This literary powerhouse, with seven acclaimed books, chart-topping podcasts, and bylines in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, crafts her stories from the heart of our charming Philly neighborhood.
Piazza weaves Philadelphia into the fabric of her storytelling. She has found inspiration in local haunts like Rival Bros Coffee and Friday Saturday Sunday, infusing her work with a distinctly Philly flavor.
"Living here makes me want to set all my books in Philly," Piazza says. "Too many books are set in NY and LA." True to her word, Piazza's newest novel, which she describes as her "most Philly book yet," features a main character who's a native Philadelphian.
But Piazza isn't stopping there. Fitler Square residents, take note: our neighborhood is set to become the backdrop for Piazza’s thrilling new murder mystery.
From Gossip to Bestsellers
Piazza's journey to Fitler Square is as colorful as her resume. A Bucks County native, she cut her teeth in the fast-paced world of New York journalism after graduating from Penn. Her stint as a gossip columnist for the New York Daily News provided a front-row seat to the evolving landscape of celebrity culture.
This experience opened Piazza's eyes to a seismic shift in how celebrities operate. "Celebrities were becoming brands outside of what they were doing," she observes. She witnessed the rise of influencer culture, where stars began earning more from brand deals, sponsorships, and promotions than from their original careers. "Companies were paying celebrities for their brands and their personalities," Piazza explains. This revelation inspired her first book, "Celebrity, Inc.," a deep dive into the modern celebrity money-making machine.
Since then, Piazza has penned seven books spanning various genres, from political novels to memoirs. Her latest, "The Sicilian Inheritance," hit shelves last April. It's a murder mystery with a personal twist, based on the real-life murder of her Sicilian great-grandmother. "It's the best book I've ever written, and also my favorite," Piazza says.
A Multifaceted Storyteller
Piazza's talents don't stop at the written word. She's also the creative force behind seven podcasts, including "Under the Influence," which pulls back the curtain on the often-murky world of social media influencers. "It's so intimate," Piazza says of the podcasting medium, "and people still have an attention span for it."
Whether she's tapping away at her keyboard in Fitler Club or jotting down ideas while strolling through the neighborhood with her husband and three children, Piazza embodies the spirit of a modern, multifaceted storyteller. Her advice to aspiring authors? "You just have to get your butt in a chair and get it done. There's never a right time to write a book, just like there's never a right time to have a baby."
To dive into Jo Piazza's world of compelling stories and insightful podcasts, visit her website at jopiazza.com or subscribe to her Substack at jopiazza.substack.com. And don't forget to purchase "The Sicilian Inheritance" – available now. Who knows? You might even catch a glimpse of familiar Philadelphia scenes in its pages.