He Flies through the Air with the Greatest of Ease: A William Saroyan Reader

Edited by William E. Justice;
 Foreword by Herbert Gold

In celebration of one of America’s literary greats

"Through the air on the flying trapeze, his mind hummed. Amusing it was, astoundingly funny. A trapeze to God, or to nothing, a flying trapeze to some sort of eternity; he prayed objectively for strength to make the flight with grace."—from "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze"

Published for the centennial celebration of the iconic author's birth, this collection of William Saroyan's writings overflows with exuberance, explodes with flashes of pure brilliance and literary daring, and brings to life an Armenian American voice unique and unforgettable. A careful selection of known and loved short stories along with plays, novels, letters, essays, and previously unpublished works, this volume allows readers to discover afresh the many aspects of a complex, engaging, and sophisticated writer.

For more information on the William Saroyan Centennial, visit these websites:

www.saroyancentennial.org
www.saroyancentennial.org/Cal_OctNovDec.html
http://events.stanford.edu/events/117/11755

Reviews

"This 600-page compilation provides a valuable reintroduction to his work and is a worth tribute to the earthen honesty of his finest writing."—San Francisco Magazine

About the Author

William Saroyan (1908-1981) was an internationally renowned Armenian American writer, playwright, and humanitarian. He achieved great popularity in the thirties, forties, and fifties through his hundreds of short stories, plays, novels, memoirs, and essays. In 1939, Saroyan was the first American writer to win both the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for his play The Time of Your Life. He famously refused to accept the Pulitzer Prize on the grounds that “Commerce should not patronize art.” He died near his hometown of Fresno at the age of seventy-two.

William E. Justice has edited Essential Saroyan and California Uncovered: Stories for the Twenty-first Century. His first book, Edges of Bounty: Adventures in the Edible Valley, will be published by Heyday Books in 2008.