Faunce, John 1949-
(John Faunce Roach)

PERSONAL:

Born June 5, 1949, in Baltimore, MD; son of John (a physician) and Alicia Faunce; married Elizabeth Karl, 2000. Education: Carnegie-Mellon University, B.F.A. and M.F.A., 1974. Politics: Libertarian. Religion: Catholic.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles, CA. Agent— Albert Zuckerman, Writers House, 21 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10010. E-mail—JohnFaunce@ lucreziaborgia.com.

CAREER:

Producer and director of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows; executive producer and writer for television and feature films; writer.

WRITINGS:

Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel, Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

As the subject for his first novel, John Faunce selected one of history's most notorious women, Lucrezia Borgia. The illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI (Roderigo Borgia), Lucrezia grew up in the Vatican, clearly understanding that her privileged life also entailed her use as a political pawn and—occasionally—a murderess. Faunce uses first-

person narrative to allow Lucrezia to talk about her life from her perspective, beginning at age five and ending in seclusion in a convent. In between she is married twice, unions that were advantageous to her father and brothers, and she learns how to take part in the intrigue and corruption that surround her.

A Kirkus Reviews critic called Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel "an entertaining debut about daily life—and death—in the papal court of Renaissance Italy." The critic found Faunce's treatment of Borgia "witty, fun, and informative." Jean Langlais in Library Journal likewise felt that Faunce "portrays [Borgia] believably, with wit and sensitivity," and Booklist correspondent Margaret Flanagan deemed the work "a page-turning exposé of … corruption, debauchery, and intrigue."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2003, Margaret Flanagan, review of Lucrezia Borgia, p. 846.

Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2002, review of Lucrezia Borgia, p. 1715.

Library Journal, March 1, 2003, Jean Langlais, review of Lucrezia Borgia, p. 118.

Publishers Weekly, January 27, 2003, review of Lucrezia Borgia, p. 235.

ONLINE

Lucrezia Borgia,http://www.lucreziaborgia.com (March 24, 2004), author's home page.