SOURCE: Saroyan, William, and Garig Basmadjian. “Candid Conversation.” In William Saroyan: The Man and the Writer Remembered, edited by Leo Hamalian, pp. 132-57. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1987.

In the following interview, originally conducted in 1975, Saroyan discusses his life and works with Basmadjian.

(25 May 1975 in Paris)

[Basmadjian]: In February 1934 Story published The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze. In October Random House brought out your first book. In less than one year you became one of the most read, discussed writers of the time. You were 26. Looking back forty years, how would you explain your sudden and spectacular appearance in American letters and what was the key of your success?

[Saroyan]: I am obliged to reply that there is an element of the unaccountable in such things. It will be a little bit mistaken for me not to acknowledge the unaccountable. I certainly wanted only...