{"product_id":"saroyan-aram-before-i-fpb","title":"Saroyan, Aram: Before I Forget","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree Rooms Press, paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublication Date: April 21, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublisher Marketing:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A writer's vivid recollection of an age when every day could be a dream.\" \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom humble beginnings in a fractured family, Aram Saroyan, author of the most controversial one-word poem in history, charts an unforgettable journey through art, fame, and the 20th-century bohemian counterculture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBefore I Forget: A Memoir (and Then Some)\u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful literary memoir from poet Aram Saroyan, son of William Saroyan, reflecting on a life shaped by art, fame, and fractured family. Includes rare photos, stories, and a behind-the-scenes view of American cultural and bohemian life from the 1950s onward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eBefore I Forget\u003c\/i\u003e, Saroyan remembers his beginnings in Manhattan, Los Angeles, London, and Bolinas. The son of the beloved author William Saroyan and step-son of Walter Matthau, he probes the fallout of his father and mother's broken marriage and lessons gleaned in their wake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaroyan paints a series of scenarios that impacted his life: An eight-year-old is cast out on the comic sea of Beverly Hills in the fifties. A young man encounters fame working with photographer Richard Avedon and a revolving list of models including Marilyn Monroe. A journey to nurture his own authentic, original literary voice finds love and support when least-expected, balancing the prickle of critical controversy. Here is a multi-faceted artist's valedictory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncludes 20 rare photos from the author's personal archive and two narrative novellas that frame Saroyan's life in literature with imaginative reflections and sharp emotional insight.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Open Books: A Poem Emporium","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45143461330967,"sku":"9781953103680","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0004\/6497\/7956\/files\/71cg42YcLXL._SL1500.jpg?v=1778966297","url":"https:\/\/open-books-a-poem-emporium.myshopify.com\/products\/saroyan-aram-before-i-fpb","provider":"Open Books: A Poem Emporium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}