SOURCE: "More Letters from Bill," in Ararat, Vol. XXV, No. 2, Spring, 1984, pp. 124-28.

Archer is an American author known for his histories and biographies intended for a young adult audience. In these studies, he avoids glossing over unpleasant aspects of history and presents famous figures realistically, depicting not only their strengths but also their failings and weaknesses. In the following excerpt, Archer recounts correspondences in which Saroyan discussed writing and his career.

My friend Arnie Bennett and I were nineteen when we discovered Bill Saroyan. The year was 1934, when the Dionne quintuplets survived and Chancellor Dollfuss of Austria didn't. Struggling for publication, we avidly read magazines like Whit Burnett's Story, a showcase for the best and brightest.

Lending me an issue, my friend said, "There's a story in it that will knock you out. Tell me what you think of it."

I read the whole issue. When we...