John Fante's Ask the Dust: A Joining of Voices and Views

This collectiongathers a diverse set of critical, personal, and artistic reflections on the trials and epiphanies of Fante’s bio-fictive hero, Arturo Bandini, as he makes his way through the dust and dread of 1939 Los Angeles. As his quest for love and compassion turns to ethnic questioning and scorn, Fante’s protagonist comes alive for new audiences who see now what Fante saw then: the “sad flower in the sand” that resides within us all.

Questions of ethnic pride, shame, and ambition against the backdrop of Los Angeles—the westernmost limit of US migration—are masterfully addressed in the labor of love that is John Fante's 'Ask the Dust': A Joining of Voices and
Views.