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Every book Timothy Denevi recommended on podcasts
Timothy Denevi appears on podcasts as a literary historian, author, and journalist deeply invested in the art of storytelling, the history of American journalism, and the works of prominent writers like Hunter S. Thompson and John Fante. During his discussions, Denevi expresses a profound admiration for Fante's body of work, sharing personal enthusiasm for novels such as Brotherhood of the Grapes, which follows Italian-American experiences. He explores the troubled publication history and enduring legacy of Fante's masterpiece Ask the Dust, analyzing its portrayal of a narcissistic, aspiring writer alongside the challenges it faced during its initial release, which coincided historically with unusual publishing events like an unauthorized edition of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf distributed by military publishers. Expanding into Fante's broader bibliography, Denevi and his hosts recommend works like 1933 was a Bad Year for its snapshot of youth and the Italian-American experience originating from Colorado, The Road to Los Angeles, and the widely popular novel Full of Life, which was later adapted into a successful feature film that provided crucial financial support for the author during difficult periods of his career. Through these discussions, Denevi maps out a rich terrain of mid-century American literature marked by struggle, ambition, and unique regional perspectives.
Books recommended by Timothy Denevi
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1933 was a Bad Year
1933 was a Bad Year by John Fante is a semi-autobiographical novel capturing the Italian-American youth experience and the struggles of a young aspiring writer growing up during the Great Depression.
Discussed“Uh, crazy story which we should talk about; he has a bunch, maybe '1933 was a Bad Year,' 'The Road to Los Angeles.' He has a couple of books about his journey; he's seen as an LA writer, but he's from Colorado, and so it's just a weird snapshot to have the Italian-American experience from Colorado to LA, then Northern”
Where to get it
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Ask the Dust
Ask the Dust by John Fante is a classic 1930s semi-autobiographical novel set in Los Angeles that follows the struggles of an impoverished young writer.
Recommended“No, I'm going to read 'Ask the Dust.' I have that in the story; it's one of the great novels of all time. Uh, crazy story which we should talk about; he has a bunch, maybe '1933 was a Bad Year,' 'The Road to Los Angeles.'”
Where to get it
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Full of Life
Full of Life is a semi-autobiographical novel by John Fante that chronicles the struggles of marriage, impending fatherhood, and financial strain in Los Angeles.
Recommended“Um, his short stories are good; um, he wrote this book—'Full of Life,' um which was his most popular book; it wasn't a popular book, but it gets turned into a big movie that basically pays for everything. He once—so basically what happens is once 'Ask the Dust' is destroyed, he is sort of heartbroken and then just becomes a”
Where to get it
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Brotherhood Of The Grape
Brotherhood Of The Grape by John Fante is a semi-autobiographical novel that explores the turbulent, complex relationship between an aging Italian-American stonemason and his rebellious son, set against the backdrop of family expectations, alcoholism, and working-class struggles.
Discussed“Yeah, and then the other writer that I'm slightly more fanboyish about than Didion is John Fante. I just read 'Brotherhood of the Grapes.' It's about Roseville?”
Where to get it
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Dreams from Bunker Hill
Discussed“And then after—this is way nerdier than people listen to—but after, after Bukowski rediscovers 'Ask the Dust' as Fante is dying of diabetes, they’re like chopping off his limbs as blind; he dictates to his wife the sequel of 'Dreams from Bunker Hill.' How's that, 'cause that's done; it's not done writing out; he told his wife the novel while”
Where to get it
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Homage to Catalonia
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell is the author's personal account of his experiences and observations fighting for the Republican army during the Spanish Civil War.
Discussed“I love 'Homage to Catalonia,' but there are parts of it where he talks about what it was like as a colonial administrator, knowing colonialism was wrong. It’s a lot like Thompson—he was caught up in enforcing it, and it shows how it destroys him as a way to argue against it. Thompson does a very good job at illustrating”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler is an autobiographical manifesto detailing the dictator's political ideology and anti-Semitic worldviews.
Discussed“And that same year, Stackpole, which was also more of a military publisher, they did a lot of books in military history, they published an unauthorized edition of 'Mein Kampf.' Oh wow, Hitler being...then like it'd be like if Putin had written a book and they felt like people should read it.”
Where to get it
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Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays
Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays is a renowned collection of reflective writings by George Orwell detailing his experiences and observations on imperialism and human conscience.
Discussed“I teach 'Shooting an Elephant' today by George Orwell. I love 'Homage to Catalonia,' but there are parts of it where he talks about what it was like as a colonial administrator, knowing colonialism was wrong. It’s a lot like Thompson—he was caught up in enforcing it, and it shows how it destroys him as a way to argue against”
Where to get it
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Stories I Tell Myself
Stories I Tell Myself by Juan F.
Discussed“His son wrote a great book called 'Stories I Tell Myself,' which tries to encapsulate Thompson's struggle. I attempted to conclude with Nixon leaving, but the years after were really tough because they reflect our current understanding of alcoholism, coupled with how Thompson would take Dexedrine. There was a price to be paid later, and his son writes about getting”
Where to get it
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The Road to Los Angeles
Discussed“Uh, crazy story which we should talk about; he has a bunch, maybe '1933 was a Bad Year,' 'The Road to Los Angeles.' He has a couple of books about his journey; he's seen as an LA writer, but he's from Colorado, and so it's just a weird snapshot to have the Italian-American experience from Colorado to LA, then Northern”
Where to get it
Books Timothy Denevi wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Denevi on Hunter S Thompson and the Art of Journalism (Part 1) | The Daily Stoic | 2023-11-18 | 12 |