Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

After the appearance of my article on John Fante (Boston Review, October/November 1993) I was dismayed to learn that some readers felt I had inadequately recognized Joyce Fante's role in the success of her husband's work. There can be no doubt that without his wife's dedication and support, much less of Fante's work would have been completed. Equally, Mrs. Fante's editorial acumen since her husband's death (she was a poet and editor in her own right when she married John Fante) is centrally responsible for that work being so widely recognized today. This is particularly true in the case of The Road To Los Angeles, Fante's finest manuscript, which remained unpublished during his lifetime.

Unfortunately, even in an article as lengthy as mine, there are very many aspects of Fante's life I was able only to touch upon. I particularly regret that Joyce Fante's central role in the support of her husband's talents and the defense of his work was among the material that I did not include.

Neil Gordon

New York City