Chance Meetings

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.