Published for the centennial celebration of William Saroyan’s birth, this collection of his writings overflows with exuberance, explodes with flashes of pure brilliance and literary daring, and brings to life an Armenian American voice that is unique and unforgettable. A careful selection of known and loved short stories along with plays, novels, letters, essays, and previously unpublished works, this volume invites readers to discover afresh the many aspects of a complex, engaging, and sophisticated writer.
Saroyan became an instant literary star in 1934 when Story magazine published The Daring Young Man on the Young Trapeze, and until his death, in 1981, he was prolific in many genres, and one of the first major American writers to address the immigrant experience. Time predicted at the end of his career that “the ease and charm of many of his stories will continue to inspire young writers. It is a legacy beyond criticism.”
Dwelling variously in Paris, London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Fresno, Saroyan never lost sight of the importance and privilege of being a writer or the need to live life to the fullest: “Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.” Continually refreshing, forever remembered for the bravura of his words and the passion of his beliefs, William Saroyan holds his place among the greats with the greatest of ease.
