Michael Tolkin

John Fante was an American novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Italian descent. He is perhaps best known for his work, Ask the Dust, a semi-autobiograpical novel about life in and around Los Angeles, California, which was the third in a series of four novels, published between 1938... and 1985, that are now collectively called, "The Bandini Quartet". That book was made into a movie by the same name in 2006. He also wrote several other books, stories, and screenplays, including the 1957 film, Full of Life, based on his 1952 novel by that name. Other noted screenplays Fante co-wrote include the 1962 films Walk on the Wild Side and The Reluctant Saint, and 1968's made-for-television movie, Something for a Lonely Man, as well as several others. Fante was born in Denver, Colorado in 1909 to his father, Nicola Fante and his mother, Mary Capolungo. He attended various Boulder, Colorado Catholic schools before briefly enrolling at the University of Colorado. He dropped out of college in 1929 and moved to Southern California to focus on his writing.
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