Inspiration for Jeffrey Musillo's first book came after he and some friends were driving around East Orange at three in the morning looking for food after a night of partying. As he stared at the gloomy imagery all around him, his mind filled with questions about the city's poverty, its vulnerability, and how it had arrived at this state. Those questions ultimately led to "America's Forgotten Children, Vol 1: East Orange, NJ" which was published by AuthorHouse and released under the pen name MuZ.
Musillo's debut is the first in a planned trilogy of books. He's already completed much of the second volume which takes place in New Orleans and the third volume will be set in Washington, DC.
The first volume is described as grimy - a look at a grimy style of life, but also an intelligent, witty and much needed lifestyle. The second volume so far is more spiritual and a bit more light hearted and Musillo says he expects the final volume to be more political.
"I took from a specific form of journalism called gonzo journalism where you kind of throw yourself into the middle of the situation," explained Musillo. "You become part of the story because without you there is no story. Whatever I saw, whatever I felt, whatever I tasted or smelled I had to bring that into the story."
Following in the footsteps of Hunter Thompson, his "literary father figure," Musillo was unafraid to put himself in some rather dangerous situations to get his story. The Monmouth County resident returned to East Orange several times to talk with residents and find out the truth about people generally forgotten by the society at large - especially those caught in a world of drugs, alcohol and debauchery.
"I went in there as a person and talked as a friend," he explained. "Sometimes it didn't necessarily feel as if I belonged and I got some eyes toward me, but after a while people start opening up and the trust starts to build. That was the most beautiful part of it.
"There's a lot of towns and cities throughout New Jersey with both beautiful areas and underprivileged areas. I think the book captures that feeling. Being from New Jersey, it gave me a specific pride to write about a certain area that represents our state."
Musillo was born in New Brunswick and went through both his parents' divorce and the death of his father by the time he was 9. He turned to poetry and music to cope. Shortly after his high school graduation his stepfather passed away so Musillo is no stranger to heartbreak himself.
Musillo studied at the Institute of Audio Research and ultimately became a production assistant for shows at Nickelodeon and Fuse TV. The idea for his book largely stemmed from a segment called "Represent Your Hood" that he shot while at Fuse TV. They gave a camera and microphone to people on the street and let them represent how they felt about their area, their religion, and their politics - basically anything they wanted to do.
"It gave them a specific pride and made them happy to speak their mind," added Musillo. "That's where I took the whole idea. The show did not get picked up but the idea remained in the back of my head."