Fante biography
- Thread starter mjp
- Start date
Every time I heard Penny Lane as a kid, I would always wonder about these "finger pies" and how I could go about getting one. They sounded delicious.
Turns out it's a bit different than what I pictured it to be as a kid.
Turns out it's a bit different than what I pictured it to be as a kid.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
For those of you who had a hard time (because it is so far over our little heads) reading and understanding post #29 then post #30 is the appropriate translation. It is a little more entertaining if nothing else. Thank you for those brilliant renditions, now back to the Jimmy La Lane exercise regimen.
mjp
Founding member
But still delicious.
chronic
old and in the way
For those of you with shot attention spans, here's the Readers Digest Condensed version:
and here's the Cliff's Notes for the Readers Digest Condensed version:
and I think that just about says it all. You can lock the whole forum now... there's really nothing more to say.
and here's the Cliff's Notes for the Readers Digest Condensed version:
and I think that just about says it all. You can lock the whole forum now... there's really nothing more to say.
I don't know if Fante had advance diabetes so much as advanced not-taking-care-of-himself.
My cousin went blind early in his life because he did not take good care of himself. He even walked around on a broken ankle for three weeks before he noticed it was broken.
He died a few years after that. Sad, since after he went blind he became an extremely talented woodcarver. But he didn't take care of himself.
If Fante had advanced diabetes, it's because he let it advance.
My cousin went blind early in his life because he did not take good care of himself. He even walked around on a broken ankle for three weeks before he noticed it was broken.
He died a few years after that. Sad, since after he went blind he became an extremely talented woodcarver. But he didn't take care of himself.
If Fante had advanced diabetes, it's because he let it advance.
I was responding to zenguru's question without referring it to directly, since this thread is about Fante's life and biography. I should have quoted him in my post. It's a forum.
If I've offended anyone, I offer my apology, but I stand behind every point I made on Fante's health because I understand what he was dealing with from first-hand experience, and I feel strongly that it was a major factor why he made the erratic decisions he did and was so hard on his children, some of whom bitterly resented him. It's a puzzle to some why he wasn't more successful and treated people so badly.
When I was being long-winded it was from making an effort to give my best, to give something of real thought and value, and give more than I took from others. I was taught that by the people I came up with. It's been appreciated by someone like David Barker and others, and before I go, I thank them for that.
I offer my apology to Michael for giving him a hard time a few months ago when I was having trouble with the forum software. I could have handled it better.
I'd like to see some of the young people who love Bukowski be taken under the wing by some of the experienced elders here, rather than being knocked around so much and leaving with a bad taste in their mouth. Their tastes in writers are largely unformed and they are looking for direction. You got 40- and 50-year-olds pounding mercilessly on 20-somethings because the young don't know the ropes, or they're simply trying to make an impression by doing something out of the ordinary like their hero Bukowski. (The trolls are another matter.) It's hard to find a place with intelligent discussions on the great writers, and some are looking for tolerance and wisdom even if they can't put it into words. It's not a requirement, but I think it's good to pass on the best of what one has discovered over the years rather than trying to pulverize the self-conscious newcomers into the ground because their tastes in writers don't conform. Bukowski and Fante had their chance. It's about the living. -- Poptop
:):):)
Ahhh nice - so far i've managed to scrape together all his published books/short stories, the 'Sad Flower...' doc and the Cooper bio but it's the little articles like this I'm trying to found now. Thanks so much!
It's a shame Fante's Filipino novel never saw the light of day, cos' He seemed to have so much hope for it too. I really liked'Bus Ride' in Big Hunger (not so much 'Helen thy....')
Regarding Fante's big ego, it doesn't bother me - most great artists/writers seem to have it anyway. I guess as a small guy, from a poor italian immigrant family with a nutcase cheating alco of a father it's not suprising that he'd want to hoist up his own talents, shame he didn't utilize it as full as possible though. To be honest the ridiculousness of his arrogance amuses me more than it annoys me, at least in his work/letters he frequently ackowledges and admits to the shamefullness some of his actions (something a hardcore egotistic bastard wouldn't ever do). That black&white honesty is something I admire so much in his work.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
If John Martin were still publishing, it probably would be. As it stands now... most of it has seen the light of day if its worthwhile (the unfinished "Brown Brothers" novel), but from reading and corresponding with Cooper it seems that the rest of it is thankfully unpublished.
But who knows. Perhaps some young enterprising publisher will grab something out his papers when they open the vault... Or would Harper have the rights to all his unpublished works, as well?
But who knows. Perhaps some young enterprising publisher will grab something out his papers when they open the vault... Or would Harper have the rights to all his unpublished works, as well?
mjp
Founding member
Tease.
I guess I missed all the posts asking what you would like to see.
Only assholes, irritants and idiots get "knocked around" here. If you weren't an idiot yourself, you'd realize that.
The rights would be held by Fante's estate. Unless they sold them outright to Harper (and I would be surprised if that was the case), Harper likely has a book-by-book deal with the estate.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
Good. My dreams stay alive.
Thankfully? Is it really that bad?
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
A lot of the still uncollected stuff seems to be stories just written to cash in a bit (like the film writing was), but that's not necessarily going to be true of ALL of it. Just at this point, there's not a lot left that was published but uncollected. As far as both unpublished AND uncollected? We'll have a better idea soon.
LickTheStar
Sad Flower in the Sand
I'm working on a couple of things that sort of hinge on the UCLA collection being available, but I'm already planning a trip to LA next year (hopefully earlier than later) to check it out.
I'm the most outspokenly obsessed fan here, I think. I'm sure there's equal fans who are at least kind enough to shut up about it though.
I'm the most outspokenly obsessed fan here, I think. I'm sure there's equal fans who are at least kind enough to shut up about it though.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
John Fante gets a Square?
John Fante is being honored Thursday at the corner of 5th and Grand.
Thursday at 11 a.m., Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry will gather with literary activists to officially name the corner of 5th and Grand streets in downtown Los Angeles "John Fante Square."
Here is the link but where are the literary activists for Bukowski. Do we need to start lobbying for Bukowski?;)
John Fante is being honored Thursday at the corner of 5th and Grand.
Thursday at 11 a.m., Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry will gather with literary activists to officially name the corner of 5th and Grand streets in downtown Los Angeles "John Fante Square."
Here is the link but where are the literary activists for Bukowski. Do we need to start lobbying for Bukowski?;)
mjp
Founding member
"...event organizers Kim Cooper and Richard Schave..." - now why did I know I would see those names in there? (Along with a link to their bus tour on the page that is linked from the article.) This is very "Los Angeles" though. Commerce leads, and government follows. It's always been that way.
There's no "square" at 5th and Grand though...just a bunch of building enterances and a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Maybe they mean the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf patio.
Fante Square, conveniently located between the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, La Salsa and Panda Express!
I don't get it.
Anyway, Bunker Hill is long gone, so they couldn't name a non-existent space after him there. I guess the options were limited. But really, "Fante Square" makes DeLongpre look like the Guggenheim or something...
There's no "square" at 5th and Grand though...just a bunch of building enterances and a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Maybe they mean the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf patio.
Fante Square, conveniently located between the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, La Salsa and Panda Express!
I don't get it.
Anyway, Bunker Hill is long gone, so they couldn't name a non-existent space after him there. I guess the options were limited. But really, "Fante Square" makes DeLongpre look like the Guggenheim or something...
mjp
Founding member
The celebrities (or their fan clubs or publicists) pay for their own stars, yes. As I recall, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce sells them.
---
Oh, here you go:
"Although begun as an effort to promote redevelopment, by the late 1960s, Hollywood Boulevard had become a haven for prostitutes and drug addicts; although the selection committee continued to exist (with a single representative from each of the four original categories), they went a decade without adding a new star. In 1978, the city of Los Angeles designated the Walk of Fame as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. In 1980, Johnny Grant, then a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce member, agreed to lead an effort to revive the practice, adding two new rules: honorees would be required to show up for a Walk of Fame ceremony, and they would have to pay a USD $2,500 fee to help pay for the HWOF's upkeep (this fee has since gone up to USD $25,000)."
---
Oh, here you go:
"Although begun as an effort to promote redevelopment, by the late 1960s, Hollywood Boulevard had become a haven for prostitutes and drug addicts; although the selection committee continued to exist (with a single representative from each of the four original categories), they went a decade without adding a new star. In 1978, the city of Los Angeles designated the Walk of Fame as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. In 1980, Johnny Grant, then a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce member, agreed to lead an effort to revive the practice, adding two new rules: honorees would be required to show up for a Walk of Fame ceremony, and they would have to pay a USD $2,500 fee to help pay for the HWOF's upkeep (this fee has since gone up to USD $25,000)."
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
"On Thursday at 11 a.m., Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry will gather with literary activists to officially name the corner of 5th and Grand streets in downtown Los Angeles "John Fante Square."
So that's how you turn a corner into a square!
It'll help Esotouric to sell more Fante Tours, I'm sure. And their beer sale will probably go up too:
So that's how you turn a corner into a square!
It'll help Esotouric to sell more Fante Tours, I'm sure. And their beer sale will probably go up too:
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