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 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 Bukowski, who stated in his introduction to Ask the Dust "Fante was my god". He was proclaimed by Time Out as one of America's "criminally neglected writers."
In 1987, Fante was posthumously awarded the PEN USA President's Award.
On October 13, 2009, Los Angeles City Council member Jan Perry 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 Bukowski discovered Ask The Dust. On April 8, 2010, the author's 101st birthday, the Fante Square sign was unveiled in a noon ceremony attended by Fante's family, fans and city officials. Fante Square is located near the old Bunker Hill neighborhood he wrote about, and where he also lived.
Read more about this topic: John Fante
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