America in the 1960's; a golden time for the family, when children behaved, wives stayed at home and men wore suits to work. But in all this perfection, reality, life, relationships and people can't help but expose this idyll for the lie that it is. Dick is a respected writer, with a beautiful young wife, and two children who he adores. So why isn't he happy? And why isn't his wife, Daisy, happy either? Maintaining his marriage and earning enough to bring up his kids is hard enough, but the tumultuous relationship with Daisy, debts, and his penchant for gambling make things even more difficult. Despite these odds, Dick and Daisy drink, laugh and argue their way to a place of real tenderness. First published in 1963, Boys and Girls Together is a truly modern love story, examining the complexities of relationship, family, the nature of love, and ultimately, our need for it.
A programme text edition published in conjunction with the Finborough Theatre to coincide with the centenary of the birth of William Saroyan, The Time of Your Life runs from 26 November - 20 December. 'In the time of our life, live - so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it' The Time of Your Life, a rich tapestry of human life, peopled by a profusion of wistful dreamers, pining lonely hearts, and beer-hall-philosophers, is a twentieth century American masterpiece. The Time of Your Life was first presented at The Shubert Theatre, New Haven, USA, on 7 October 1939. It was the first play to win both the New York Drama Critics' Circle award and the Pulitzer Prize. . It has been revived three times on Broadway; was filmed in 1948, starring James Cagney; and twice filmed for TV. It was last seen in the UK in a star-studded Royal Shakespeare Company production in Stratford and London in 1983, and received the following review: 'A remarkable play which blazes forth like a brave beacon: warming and full of fire' Daily Mail
In his touching and amusing memoir Chance Meetings, William Saroyan gives us a glimpse of the characters that have left an indelible impression on his mind for years to come. From the Armenian neighbourhood of his childhood to the Parisian streets of his formative years, we meet the people that have inspired, perplexed, angered and enamoured him. We meet finely drawn personalities like the Armenian Cabinet maker, that planed wood whilst his mind composed beautiful poems, who would call him into his shop and embarrass Saroyan with his recitations. We visit the tiny desk of the only famous writer in San Francisco, who kindly replied to Saroyan's letter and invited him into his office. And the playful image of his mother, who would caricature everyone from the postman to the president with hilarious precision. First published in 1978, Chance Meetings builds a picture of the author through the people that surrounded him throughout his life, who shaped and formed a great writer, and were immortalised by his words.
What a delight to find seventeen of Saroyan's uncollected stories within one cover!....charming tales, all blessed with Saroyan's pixieish imagination and magical writing style....Even today they read as though they have been freshly minted from the Saroyan treasure house. A discovery for those who love Saroyan's fiction; his spark is still wonderfully alive." --Library Journal
All his life a man fights death, and then at last loses the fight, always having known he would. Loneliness is every man's portion, and failure. The man who seeks to escape from loneliness is a lunatic. The man who does not know that all is failure is a fool. The man who does not laugh at these things is a bore. Arak Vagramian, a handsome son of Armenian immigrants, contended with his small-town bar-tending job in Fresno, is one day spotted by a Hollywood filmmaker. Although at first he refuses to leave his hometown, job, family and friends, soon the splendour of Hollywood lifestyle lures him. Shortly after he becomes Rock Wagram – a Hollywood heart-throb and celebrity. But at the peak of his career he decides to enter the army and serve his country during the war. When in 1950 he attempts to resume his acting career he battles with the many challenges which the fast changing industry throws at him. Rock Wagram, first published in 1951, is an inspiring tale about one's search for the true identity in the unstable world of commercial success, where family ties and loyalties often have to be compromised.
Marvelously captivating." — The New York Times. First published in 1940, Saroyan's international bestseller recounts the exploits of an Armenian clan in northern California at the turn of the 20th century. Based on the author's loving and eccentric extended family, the characters in these 14 related short stories provide humorous and touching scenes from immigrant life.
Eleven of William Saroyan's most delightful tales, Fresno Stories springs straight from the source of the author's vision--"the archetypal Armenian families who inhabit Saroyan country, in and around Fresno, California." (Chicago Tribune)
When Evan Nazarenus returns from a teaching post at the summer school in Nebraska, he cannot wait for a couple of blissful weeks spent with his wife and two children in Clovis, a small town where his brother has a summer house. But soon after they arrive for the long awaited holiday, Swan, Evan's wife, announces that she is expecting a child ... who is not fathered by Evan. This news shocks and hurts Evan deeply, but for his children's sake he decides to keep it to himself through the holidays they dreamt of for so long. But a family secret of such calibre is difficult to hide and the curious small-town neighbours begin to notice that something is amiss with the couple. The Laughing Matter, first published in 1953, is a disturbing family drama set against the landscape of a small Californian town, with a close-knit community who embrace new-comers with the curiosity of those hungry for gossip. William Saroyan draws his characters with immense sensitivity for human erring and self-inflicted suffering.
Once upon a time there was only one word — me. If you wanted to say here I am, you said — me. It was the only word anyone ever heard! But only people said me. Dogs said bark, bark, take me to the park; cats said purr, purr, I am the Queen be kind to her; cows said moo, moo, I am a cow, what are you? But slowly, change came, and in his first children's book, Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist William Saroyan spins a fanciful fable that speculates on how members of the human race actually started talking to each other. Recounted with catchy rhymes and a spirited simplicity, this story is illustrated with lively pictures that glow with the warmth of watercolors. An internationally renowned writer, playwright, and humanitarian, William Saroyan wrote short stories, plays, novels, memoirs, and essays. His tale of Me is illustrated by Murray Tinkelman, whose art has appeared in Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other prominent publications. Their charming children's story has been out of print for decades but now returns to circulation in this vibrant new edition.
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