He is known to be one of the first writers to portray the tough times faced by many writers in Los Angeles, often referred to as "the quintessential L.A. novelist." He has also been cited as a precursor to Beat writers. Robert Towne has called "Ask the Dust" the greatest novel ever written about Los Angeles. Michael Tolkin said the novel should be "mandatory reading" in the Los Angeles school system. More than 60 years after it was published, "Ask the Dust" appeared for several weeks on the "New York Times"' Best Sellers List.