John Fante was a lot of things. Famous wasn’t one of them. The late author’s lack of notoriety forced the Colorado-native-turned-Los-Angeles-writer to Hollywood, where he worked on such films as Walk on the Wild Side and My Man and I. Fante’s bout with near-obscurity makes a signed, first edition copy of 1952’s Full of Life that much more of a rarity. The book, currently in the possession of Planet Books owner James Rappaport (he’s accepting bids), is missing a jacket, which experts say drops the value significantly. The text itself is in decent shape, but the cover bears a tiny stain and has been rendered a greenish tint due to what appears to be wear and tear. Still, you’ll want this for the inscription, which reads “For Kenny Warren with love and kisses” and is signed “Johnnie Fante.” Fante’s son, Dan, a well-known writer in his own regard, says this is a tell-tale sign that his father was drunk when he dropped his John Hancock. Toward the bottom of the page is the date, “Oct. 10, 1952.” Rappaport says the book came from a dealer and has no idea who Kenny Warren is (or was). Nether does Dan Fante, who says his father’s lack of celebrity means there are few autographed copies of any books that he knows of. The inside cover of this version of Full of Life has an address label that says Kenny Warren lived in Laguna Beach, home to one of the most famous scenes in Fante’s 1939 masterpiece Ask the Dust. But perhaps the book comes from Laguna via Long Beach, where Fante lived at three different addresses during the early portion of his life. Whatever its origins, this is a holy grail—one of the few in existence—for Fante fans.

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