In 1994, Stephen Cooper, biographer of John Fante, scholar of his work and preparer of this edition, visited the writer's widow, who after many conversations allowed him to enter a secret room where manuscripts, drafts, numbers of old magazines and other papers were kept. Among them were the eighteen writings that appear in this volume, seventeen of which had been published in magazines now defunct and had not been published since. In these rescued texts we see Arturo Bandini riding again and other copies of the endearing character.