Related Objects

A program in honor of the renowned American Armenian author William Saroyan. Fellow Fresnans Charles Amirkhanian and Vic Bedoian present a collage of traditional Armenian music, readings from Saroyan's stories of life in Fresno California, and the author's own radio biography exclusively made for this broadcast. Saroyan often relied on his own memories about growing up in Fresno during the Depression as the basis for his fictional stories and novels. Saroyan served in the Army during World War II and was almost court-martialed after one of his stories was discovered to promote pacifism. He later was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his play "The Time of Your Life," an honor that he refused on the principle that commerce should not judge the arts.

Musical Selections

[unidentified Armenian folk music]

Performers

Fred Cody, reader
Don Sortor, reader

Subjects

Folk music -- Armenia
Folk music, Armenian
City and town life
Autobiographical fiction

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Amirkhanian, Charles
Saroyan, William, 1908-1981
Cody, Fred, 1916-1983
Sortor, Don