Ask the lyrics: John Fante in music

Abstract

The crosspollination of literature and lyrics is not a new phenomenon in popular music and classics of world literature continue to inspire songwriters who incorporate them in their art in different ways and forms. Interestingly enough, a not-yet-classic author like the Italian-American John Fante has had an impact on popular culture and music both in Italy and in the United States. Grossly neglected by mainstream American literature, mainly labeled as an “ethnic” writer, John Fante has only recently become widely read in Italy and he has already developed unusual ties with music in both countries. In this article, I will briefly survey the reception of John Fante in the United States and Italy by tracing the history of the publication of his works in translation. I will then present a review of some Italian and American songs that explicitly draw inspiration from Arturo Bandini, the protagonist of Fante’s saga. This article is an exploration of the relationship between literature, music, and society through a reflection on the impact that a non-canonical American writer has on popular culture and how his ethnic experience often reverberates in larger society and in the singer/reader/listener’s life before earning approval from mainstream critics.