4 Writing Lessons From John Fante — The Great Unknown Writer
Fante was supposed to be the next great American novelist — then Hitler intervened.
I read Ask The Dusk by John Fante some weeks ago, and I’m still reeling from the experience. By God, Fante is the best writer that nobody knows.
He has been called “the most criminally neglected writer of our times” and I am inclined to agree. I, like so many others, only got introduced to Fante because of Bukowski’s high praise of him. Bukowski discovered Fante as a young man, and the Italian master’s rogue writing inspired him to no end. Bukowski famously said that,
“Fante was my God…here, at last, was a man not afraid of emotions.”
In this article, we’ll take a look at the success and subsequent oblivion of one of the greatest unsung writers of our time. We’ll look at how we can recreate his triumphs, and more importantly, avoid the mistakes he committed.
Let us begin.
Double Down On Your Own Unique Style
Here’s a sample of Fante’s flair:
“Almighty God, I am sorry I am now an atheist, but have You read Nietzsche?”
