John Fante (April 8, 1909 – May 8, 1983) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Italian descent.
Life
Born in Denver,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
, Fante's early years were spent in relative poverty. The son of an Italian father, Nicola Fante, and an Italian-American mother, Mary Capolungo, Fante was educated in various Catholic schools in
Boulder, ColoradoBoulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, in the United States. Boulder is the 11th most populous city in the state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2008 the population of the city of Boulder was...
and briefly attended the
University of ColoradoThe University of Colorado at Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system and was founded five months before Colorado was admitted to the union in 1876...
.
In 1929, he dropped out of college and moved to Southern
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
to concentrate on his writing. He lived and worked in Wilmington,
Long BeachLong Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles. Long Beach borders Orange County on its southeast edge....
,
Manhattan BeachManhattan Beach is a city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The population was 33,852 at the 2000 census. The city is on the Pacific Ocean coast, to the south of El Segundo, and to the north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of volleyball and surfing. During...
, the
Bunker HillBunker Hill, in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, is a short, developed hill with its peak located roughly around 3rd Street. It is located directly east of the Harbor Freeway. Due to the skyscrapers built on it, the hill stands out from the rest of the L.A...
district of downtown
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, various residences in Hollywood and
Echo ParkEcho Park can refer to:* Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, in the United States* Echo Park , at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument* Echo Park , a 2001 album by the British band Feeder...
, and
MalibuMalibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population is 12,575....
. In 1955 Fante developed diabetes, which eventually blinded him and two years later caused his legs to be amputated. He continued to write by dictating the stories to his wife. He was the father of author
Dan FanteDan Fante is the Los Angeles-based author of Short Dog, Chump Change, Mooch and Spitting Off Tall Buildings. His newest novel is 86'd....
.
Career
After many unsuccessful attempts at publishing stories in the highly regarded literary magazine,
The American MercuryThe American Mercury is a defunct magazine founded in 1924 as the brainchild of H. L. Mencken and drama critic George Jean Nathan. The magazine featured writing by some of the most important writers in the United States through the 1920s and 1930s...
, his short story "Altar Boy" was accepted conditionally by the magazine's editor, H.L. Mencken. The acceptance of "Altar Boy" by The American Mercury was accompanied by a reply from Mencken that read: "Dear Mr. Fante, What do you have against a typewriter? If you transcribe this manuscript in type I'll be glad to buy it. Sincerely yours, H.L. Mencken."
By far, his most popular novel is the semi-autobiographical
Ask the DustAsk the Dust is the most popular novel of Italian-American author John Fante, that published in 1939 and set during Great Depression era in Los Angeles. It is one of a series of novels based around the character Arturo Bandini serving as his alter ego, a young Italian-American from Colorado...
, the second book in what is now referred to as "The Saga of Arturo Bandini" or "The Bandini Quartet". Bandini served as his alter ego in a total of four novels:
Wait Until Spring, Bandini (1938),
The Road to Los Angeles (chronologically, this is the first novel Fante wrote but it was unpublished until 1985),
Ask the Dust (1939), and finally
Dreams from Bunker Hill (1982), which was dictated to his wife, Joyce, towards the end of his life. Fante's use of Bandini as his alter ego can be compared to Charles Bukowski's character, Henry Chinaski. Bukowski was heavily influenced by John Fante (see below).
Other novels include
Full of Life (1952),
The Brotherhood of the Grape (1977), and
1933 Was a Bad Year (1985; incomplete). Two novellas, 'My Dog Stupid' and 'The Orgy' were published in 1986 under the title
West of Rome. His short story collection,
Dago Red, was originally published in 1940, and then republished with a few additional stories in 1985 under the title
The Wine of Youth.
Recurring themes in Fante's work are
povertyPoverty is the condition of lacking basic human needs such as nutrition, clean water, health care, clothing, and shelter because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to as absolute poverty or destitution...
,
CatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
,
family lifeFamily Life is a magazine published by, and primarily for, the Old Order Amish. The publisher is Pathway Publishers of Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. Unlike some Amish publications, Family Life is printed entirely in English rather than Pennsylvania Dutch or German.The magazine was founded in 1968 and...
, Italian-American identity, sports, and the writing life.
Ask the Dust has been referred to over the years as a monumental Southern California/Los Angeles novel by a host of reputable sources (e.g.:
Carey McWilliamsCarey McWilliams was an American author, editor, and lawyer. He is best known for his writings about social issues in California, including the condition of migrant farm workers and the internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II...
, Charles Bukowski, and The Los Angeles Times Book Review). More than sixty years after it was published,
Ask the Dust appeared for several weeks on the New York Times' Bestseller's List. Fante's clear voice, vivid characters, shoot-from-the-hip style, and painful, emotional honesty blended with humor and scrupulous self-criticism lends his books to wide appreciation. Most of his novels and stories take place either in Colorado or California. Many of his novels and short stories also feature or focus on fictional incarnations of Fante's father, Nick Fante, as a cantankerous wine tippling, cigar stub-smoking
bricklayerA brick hod is a three-sided box for carrying bricks or other construction materials, often mortar. It bears a long handle and is carried over the shoulder...
.
Fante's screenwriting credits include the comedy-drama
Full of Life (1957), based on his novel of the same name, which starred
Judy HollidayJudy Holliday was an American actress.Holliday began her career as part of a night-club act, before progressing to work in Broadway roles...
and
Richard ConteRichard Conte was an American actor who appeared in numerous films from the 1940s through 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Godfather.-Biography:...
, and was nominated for Best Written American Comedy at the 1957
WGA AwardsThe Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
. He also co-wrote
Walk on the Wild SideWalk on the Wild Side is a 1962 film directed by Edward Dmytryk, adapted from the 1956 novel A Walk on the Wild Side by Nelson Algren. The film had a star-studded cast, including Laurence Harvey, Capucine, Jane Fonda , Anne Baxter, and Barbara Stanwyck, and was scripted by John Fante. Nonetheless,...
(1962), which stars
Jane FondaJane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou and, excluding a 15 year hiatus, has appeared in films ever since. She has won two Academy Awards and received several...
in her first credited film role, based on the novel by
Nelson AlgrenNelson Algren was an American writer.-Early life:Born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of three he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois where they lived in a working-class, immigrant neighborhood on the South Side...
. His other screenplay credits include
Dinky,
Jeanne Eagels,
My Man and I,
The Reluctant Saint,
Something for a Lonely Man and
Six Loves. As Fante himself often admitted, most of what he wrote for the screen was simply hackwork intended to bring in a paycheck,.
In the late 1970s, at the suggestion of novelist and poet
Charles BukowskiHenry Charles Bukowski was a German American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Bukowski's writing was heavily influenced by the geography and atmosphere of his home city of Los Angeles, and is marked by an emphasis on the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol,...
, Black Sparrow Press began to republish the (then out-of-print) works of Fante, creating a resurgence in his popularity. When Black Sparrow was reconfigured on its founder's retirement in 2002, publication of John Fante's works was taken over by
HarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company. The worldwide CEO of HarperCollins is Brian Murray...
under the
EccoEcco may refer to:*an imprint of the multinational publisher, HarperCollins.*the Danish shoe manufacturer, ECCO.*the Earth Coincidence Control Office, a concept of super intelligent entities described by John C. Lilly...
imprint, but not before Black Sparrow Press could publish the last of Fante's uncollected stories in
The Big Hunger (2000).
Full of Life: The Biography of John Fante was published by Stephen Cooper also in 2000, followed by
The Fante Reader in 2003. Also available are two collections of letters,
Fante/Mencken: A Personal Correspondence (1989) and
Selected Letters (1991).
Legacy and Recognition
He is known to be one of the first writers to portray the tough times faced by many writers in L.A.
Robert TowneRobert Burton Towne is an American screenwriter and director.-Personal Life:He is married to Luisa Gaule. His former father-in-law is late actor John Payne, star of the western series, The Restless Gun. Towne's daughter is Katharine Towne...
has called
Ask The Dust the greatest novel ever written about Los Angeles.
His work and style has influenced similar authors such as
Charles BukowskiHenry Charles Bukowski was a German American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Bukowski's writing was heavily influenced by the geography and atmosphere of his home city of Los Angeles, and is marked by an emphasis on the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol,...
, who stated in his introduction to
Ask The Dust "Fante was my god". He was proclaimed by Time Out magazine as one of America's “criminally neglected writers."
In 1987, Fante was posthumously awarded the
PENInternational PEN, the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere...
USA President's Award.
On October 13, 2009,
Los Angeles City CouncilThe Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.There is one city council member for each of the 15 council districts.-Members:Officers:*President of the Council: Eric Garcetti...
member
Jan PerryJan C. Perry , a Democrat, currently represents the 9th district of the Los Angeles City Council.-City Council Elections:Perry was elected to office in 2001 to succeed Councilwoman Rita Walters, for whom she had served as Chief of Staff. She was reelected in 2005 and 2009 facing token opposition...
put forward a motion, seconded by Jose Huizar, that the intersection of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue be designated John Fante Square. The site is outside the Los Angeles Central Library frequented by the young Fante, and where
Charles BukowskiHenry Charles Bukowski was a German American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Bukowski's writing was heavily influenced by the geography and atmosphere of his home city of Los Angeles, and is marked by an emphasis on the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol,...
discovered
Ask The Dust.
Film and Theater adaptations
Dominique DeruddereDominique Deruddere is a Belgian film director....
directed the movie version of
Wait Until Spring, Bandini, which was released in 1989. In March 2006,
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is a Worldwide American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is the world's oldest existing American film studio; it is also the last...
released
Ask the DustAsk the Dust is a 2006 film based on the book Ask the Dust by John Fante. The movie was written and directed by Robert Towne. Tom Cruise served as one of the film's producers. The film was released on a limited basis on March 17, 2006...
, directed by
Robert TowneRobert Burton Towne is an American screenwriter and director.-Personal Life:He is married to Luisa Gaule. His former father-in-law is late actor John Payne, star of the western series, The Restless Gun. Towne's daughter is Katharine Towne...
and starring
Colin FarrellColin James Farrell is a Golden Globe-winning Irish actor, who has appeared in Hollywood films including Tigerland, Daredevil, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, Alexander, In Bruges and S.W.A.T....
,
Salma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez is a Mexican actress, director, and television and film producer. Hayek's charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants....
, and
Donald SutherlandDonald McNicol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian character actor with a film career spanning over 50 years. He is currently working in the American television series, Dirty Sexy Money. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, in...
. In December 2006, a 2001 documentary film about Fante, entitled
A Sad Flower in the Sand (directed by Jan Louter) aired on the PBS series
Independent LensAiring weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Independent Lens films vary in length from four-minute comic shorts and half-hour experimental pieces to hour-long dramas and feature-length...
.
On January 18, 2001 the play, "1933" by Randal Myler and Brockman Seawell, based on the novel
1933 was a Bad Year, premiered at the Denver Center for the Performing arts.
External links
- Who Was John Fante? at Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online magazine, with content updated each weekday. American liberal politics is its major focus, but it covers a range of issues. Reviews and articles about music, books and films are also a prominent feature of the site....
- John Fante: Father of L.A. Lit at The Palisadian-Post
- Italian-English website about Fante's family
- 2007 photographs of the ruined apartment house where Fante wrote "Ask the Dust"
- A SAD FLOWER IN THE SAND site for Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Independent Lens films vary in length from four-minute comic shorts and half-hour experimental pieces to hour-long dramas and feature-length...
on PBS
- John Fante's Dreams of Bunker Hill tour from L.A. bus adventure company Esotouric
- 1940 John Fante story about Bunker Hill, from the Los Angeles Times
- http://www.playbill.com/news/article/57952-1933_Tale_of_a_Baseball_Dreamer_Premieres_in_Denver_Jan._18-March_3
- Short radio script from Ask the Dust at the California Legacy Project
The California Legacy Project began in 2000 as a project at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA and later partnered with Heyday Books in Berkeley, CA. The project uses a research team of SCU interns to create radio scripts for the radio anthology "Your California Legacy" on KAZU 90.3 FM,...
.