Before I Forget

It’s not easy to follow in the footsteps of William Saroyan, once America’s favorite short story writer, even recognising the years that separate father and son. Nor is it easy, even now, to show pride in your Armenian heritage. Aram Saroyan is a bold, versatile author. Before I Forget reveals the scope of his memory and his skill as a writer.

Here is an opportunity to showcase his short stories and novellas in a single book. The stories hint at his personal experience, sometimes acknowledged, or else leaving it to the reader to deduce. In less adept hands, the switch from one section of the book to the next may confuse. But the two novellas and passages recalling separate phases are distinctive, gliding into the different periods and moods of the author’s life. A keen interest in photography led to an informal apprenticeship and then friendship with renowned photographer Richard Avedon.

Aram Saroyan was born during the throes of WW2. His parents provided a united family, but a split came with their divorce, and with this, a notable change in lifestyle. Throughout the book, Saroyan clearly and affectionately recognizes the shared benefits of his American, Jewish, and Armenian cultural traditions.