Peter Balakian's book Black Dog of Fate (1997) is his story of growing up in a comfortable New Jersey suburb in the midst of a family that had survived the 1915 Turkish genocide against the Armenians—a family with experiences similar to those of Saroyan's family. Balakian relates how he was able to get past his family's reluctance to discuss their experiences while living in Armenia and learn about his background and family history.

Clifford Odets and Saroyan both wrote plays during the late 1930s and early 1940s, but Odets was a much more overtly political writer than Saroyan. A collection of Odets's plays, Waiting for Lefty and Other Plays (1993), offers an overview of the work by the radical leftist playwright. The title play, about a New York City cabdrivers' strike, was first produced in 1935.

Last Rites: The Death of William...