24 AUGUST 2024 By Mallory Gleich Professional artist. Assistant teaching professor. Arizona State University and City College of New York graduate. Sal Cosenza, who was born and raised in Scottsdale, is a self-described renaissance man, and now, he can add another bullet point to his resume as a published author. While attending high school at Coronado, Cosenza was introduced to Art One, a gallery in Old Town whose mission is to support student artists. He worked with the company from then on and, in 2019, unveiled a series of acrylic paintings that he’d been working on since 9/11. Manhattan: The Rising War was born as a continuation of that series – albeit in another medium. “I think the path from artist to author happened naturally because I always look for the best way to tell my story,” Cosenza said. “Being a creative type means to be adaptable, which is why I stress to my students the importance of utilizing all their talents (like writing, sketching, music) as they pursue their final designs. It’s the same strategy with my own work.” The Big Apple called to Cosenza in 2012 for grad school (where he received his Master’s in Architecture), work experience, and, as he said, “to see what I was missing since most of my family members are from New York.” He said that the idea to turn the paintings into a book happened that same year. “I started the first draft in my Harlem dorm room in 2012,” he said. “That was when I decided to turn it into a proper novel. Final edits concluded by early 2024, and now, here we are!” Manhattan: The Rising War is set in a re-imagined version of Manhattan Island, where the buildings are given “anthropomorphic and deeply life-like personalities.” Cosenza describes the book as “a tale of community and courage at a towering scale, with icons like Lady Liberty, Empire State Building, and others being forced to face a raging evil that threatens their magical existence.” The book is a mix of urban fantasy and historical fiction that draws from New York City’s 400-year-old history – a mix that added to the obstacles Cosenza faced while writing the novel. “The fact that I was juggling writing while also living in two states, painting, teaching, and keeping my former job as an architectural designer was another,” he said. “The nature of the story was a challenge, given that my characters were walking, talking buildings, and the story could have easily fallen into cartoonish territory. This concerned me because I wanted the narrative to convey a certain gravitas in tone.” Cosenza didn’t let these obstacles get him down. The book was published, and he’s already working on another. Before that, though, he headed back to Arizona to attend a book signing at the place where he got his start as an artist: Art One. The event took place in July. Attendees could meet Cosenza and purchase a signed copy of the book, with proceeds going to the Art One Foundation. “The signing was great. We sold a lot of books for the foundation and I’m humbled by the show of support,” Cosenza said. “It was a wonderful mix of magic, mayhem, and Hawaiian Punch. All the essentials!” Manhattan: The Rising War is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and locally at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe. Art One Gallery alumni publishes first novel Sal Cosenza held a book signing event at Art One Gallery in Old Town in July. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAL COSENZA

O L D T O W N S C O T T S DA L E A Z . C O M Old Town is all about selfies: Selfie shopping, selfie dining, selfie walking around and about an all-around selfie good time. As you wander around our slice of old west heaven, who knows what coolness you’ll find, local retail shops with unique products, restaurants and bars with outdoor patios, and museums and art galleries with their doors open. When the sun tucks in for the evening, you don’t have to. Day or night, Old Town looks pretty darn good on you. You deserve all of it. To look better in photos, change your location setting.