John Fante Selected Letters 1932-1981

Fante's captivating letters trace his emergence from poverty to life as a Hollywood screenwriter.

The letters follow Fante through Depression-era California, recording his days in Bunker Hill hotels and his labor on early manuscripts between studio contracts.

He moves from begging fifty-dollar advances from Alfred A. Knopf to boasting of sudden windfalls from movie sales and late nights with Carey McWilliams. The collection balances his exasperation over studio hackwork against a fierce devot...