John Fante

John Fante (April 8, 1909 — May 8, 1983) 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.