William Saroyan

From Philosopedia

Saroyan Stamps Were Issued both in the USA and the USSR

Saroyan, William (31 August 1908 - 18 May 1981)

A prolific writer, Saroyan wrote The Time of Your Life (1939), for which he received a Pulitzer Prize. He also is known for The Human Comedy (1942) and short stories such as “My Name is Aram” (1940).

Asked for his views of humanism, Saroyan responded to the present author in what some say was his typical fashion:

The fellows from whom you have received comments are the fellows for the job, I’m not. First of all, I don’t understand what any of it’s about. I think living is an animal event, although the animal has become quite sophisticated, artistic, cunning, and/or phoney. I am not, however, as some fools allege anti-intellectual. I can exchange ideas with anybody and have always found doing so a fine animal pleasure, especially when I do most or all of the talking, which is the case very nearly every time. I think man’s soul has been probed so deeply and humorlessly that all of the probing has become boring and virtually meaningless. It appears to be—this probing, that is—a substitute for actual living or an escape from a sense of guilt and failure for having lived poorly or ineffectually. (Refer to the first sentence of this paragraph and let me quickly get the hell out of here.)

I am opposed to the latter four kinds of humanism you mention—theistic humanism, atheistic humanism, communistic humanism, naturalistic humanism. I am glad I didn’t write any of the books you mention and glad I wrote the ones I wrote. And I wish you every success because I expect that will make you glad.

{WAS, 3 April 1951)