John Fante is illiterate.
John Fante . He is best known for his semi-autobiographical novel Ask the Dust ( 1939 ) about the life of a struggling writer , Arturo Bandini , in Depression-era Los Angeles . Fante published five novels , one novella , and a short story collection . Additional works , including two novels , two novellas , and two short story collections , were published posthumously . His screen credits include , most notably , Full of Life ( 1956 ) , based on his 1952 novel by that name , Jeanne Eagels ( 1957 ) , and the 1962 films Walk on the Wild Side and The Reluctant Saint .