Unpublished Manuscripts

Even with his incredible output of published materials, most of Saroyan’s writings have never been published. Stanford University and the Forever Saroyan archives together hold the bulk of these manuscripts and drafts that span his entire career. Many of his stories were written in the process of daily journaling, while others were made with the intent of publishing either in short story collections or magazines. Below is a small sampling of some of his manuscripts, with corrections in his own handwriting. Not one for extensive rewriting, many of these stories began and ended with one draft. In Here Comes There Goes You Know Who (1961), he writes, “There are at least ten million words of unpublished stuff already on hand here and there, and someday perhaps, a specialist of some kind will run through the stuff, or a little of it, and pick out a few words on the subject of gambling, for instance…in any case, whoever undertakes to mess with my papers has got his work cut out for him.”

Working Collection Title: “Laramie,” 1950

The Man Who Avoided Dirt

William Saroyan
the-man-who-avoided-dirt
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

The Man Who Ran

William Saroyan
the-man-who-ran
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

The Man Who Talked to Harry

William Saroyan
the-man-who-talked-to-harry
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

The Man Who Wanted to Laugh

William Saroyan
the-man-who-wanted-to-laugh
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

What Happened to Ozz

William Saroyan
what-happened-to-ozz
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

Additional Manuscripts

These Are The Living

William Saroyan
these-are-the-living
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

Class.

William Saroyan
class
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

Hemingway

William Saroyan
class
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

How it is to be

William Saroyan
how-it-is-to-be
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

New Directions

William Saroyan
class
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

No More Danger

William Saroyan
no-more-danger
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

Six or Seven Words About Six or Seven Things Connected With Writing

William Saroyan
class
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)

Ache of Earth and Sea and Sky

William Saroyan
ache_of_earth_sea_and_sky
Original Manuscript
(Click image to view)
*This is a small sample of digitized artifacts from Forever Saroyan’s collection. Please contact us at to learn how to access our complete collection.

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