John Fante (1909-1983)

Silver Fox Girl

From Ask the Dust, 1939

Partly it's the climate, partly it's who lives there, but Los Angeles seems to inspire the dreams of fledgling writers even though they're rarely fulfilled.

Novelist and screen writer John Fante knew all about the grip that Los Angeles had on the dreams of young authors. Here, Fante's alter-ego Arturo Bandini wanders the streets while he dreams of fame--and a certain special girl.

. . . a great deal of time passed as I stood in front of a pipe shop and looked, and the whole world faded except that window and I stood and smoked them all, and saw myself a great author with that natty Italian briar, and a cane, stepping out of a big black car, and she was there too, proud as hell of me, the lady in the silver fox fur. We registered and then we had cocktails and then we danced awhile, and then we had another cocktail and I recited some lines from Sanskrit, and the world was so wonderful, because every two minutes some gorgeous one gazed at me, the great author, and nothing would do but I had to autograph her menu, and the silver fox girl was very jealous.

One of John Fante's best-known works, Ask the Dusk appeared in 1939.