1983_02 Insight February 1983

              Saroyan: Siblings tell different stories
d from page I
wanted his bathrobe very much. I
spoke to the lawyer representing the
foundation about it and I never heard
back on it. To think that I will never
see many of the little things I identified with my father again makes me
very sad."
•The will was part of the whole
picture of Papa." she said.' "The
outrageous things he did could hurt or
delight. But the grim, unfriendly way
be could appear was more than compensated by his warmth, abundance
and generosity of spirit."
The only portion of William
Saroyan's estate left to his family is a
$150,000 trust with the California
Canadian Bank and a Marin County
home to be used by Aram's family.
Money in the trust will only be
disbursed to those deemed "in need of
care, support or maintenance" by the
bank. Beneficiaries of the trust are
William Saroyan's sister, Cosette
Saroyan, Aram, Lucy and Aram's
three children.
Aram's children will inherit tbe
Marin County home when the
youngest child, now five years old,
turns 30. Any remaining money in the
trust fund will be distributed among
William Saroyan's children and
grandchildren at this Ume too, assuming they survive Cosette Saroyan.
He was more of a real man than
his books or public legend had allowed
him to be. And, if anything, he was
better for me man for anyone else
because he was real for me. He was
putting on a performance tn public.
People who knew nun will tell you that
after two hours of performing like
that he would go home exhausted and
stay home in his bed a couple of
days."
Aram said a number of people,
especially those In the Armenian community, have had trouble with tbe
William Saroyan rjictured in his book.
"My father was portrayed so long
as a kind of bigger-than-lif e folk hero.
That was part of tbe problem people
had with my book, because that man
is nowhere to be seen in the book. He
was a very gifted, troubled man. That
is tbe person I love. I cerainly love
him more than the folk hero whose
humanity wasn't all there."
Tbe problem with people bigger-
than-life," he said, "is that they are
also smaller-than-life. My father was
a man of great anger, great depression. He wu caught in a public image
that scarcely portrayed any of that."
Aram was troubled by a synopsis
got in one letter from my dad. The letters speak for themselves. They are
full of as much love as any one parent
could give.
My father was a man of great wit.
What sustained us most in all the ups
and downs was his sense of humor. It
was a shorthand way of communicating. Nothing could happen
but what Pop couldn't see tbe lighter,
brighter side.
"I remember tbe time we were on
a trip to Barcelona (Spain). I must
have been about 10-years-old and I
wanted a donkey more than anything
in the world. We went to various
places, but when we got to Barcelona,
my father said we should settle down
in a town and he would buy me the
donkey I had always wanted.
"We drove to the town to our new
dwelling and a Spaniard drove us over
those twisty cliffs at about a hundred
miles an hour. Pop made Jokes all the
way to lighten the atmosphere
because we all thought we had bought
it we were dead.
"When we got there, the driver
immediately left us. As soon as we
walked into the house, there was a
blackout. The toilet wouldn't flush,
family. I was always the go-between
ween when he would fight with my
brother. For Aram, the relationship
was always a strain and a difficulty."
Lucy and Aram's mother, the former
Carol Marcus, was married to their
father twice, during the first marriage, from 1943 to 1949, Lucy and
Aram were born. The second marriage lasted from 1951 to 1952. Carol
married Walter Mattheau in 1959 and
has been married to him since.
"Papa idealized big, big
families," Lucy said. "He wanted 10
kids and he only had two. I think he
was estranged from Aram and me
partly for that reason. His marriage
failing caused him lifelong heartbreak."
"Papa was disappointed with
me," Lucy said. "He wanted me to
marry young, have a big family and a
man, the oldtcountry style. He was
proud I bad a career (as an actress)
and was happy when I got good
reviews, but he was confused that I
didn't have a conventional life."
Lucy recalled the time she raised
her father's hopes about following in
"I feel overwhelmed by Aram's
point of view in 'Last Rites,' " Lucy
^^jsakL "I feel it is so unfair to Pop. The
truth of Pop's essence is cheated of a
whole aspect. Aram only looked at it
from one point of view. I worry about
that Aram was never captivated ana
dazzled by my-father. I found him irresistible.
"My version of Papa is very different from Aram's. But I felt
thwarted because people are looking
for tbe shocking and unconventional
things. I didn't know if they were***)**,
teres ted in my view.
"In my lifetime, I hope he can b*^
represented more fairly. He was one
et the great spirits. My father was so
abundant. He took such great joy in
life. In a way, that was his legacy to
me. My father was madly in love with
life. I feel I've inherited a lot of that
"> from him. I have a passion for life, a
fearlessness. He was certainly the
greatest force in my life."
Lucy said one of her problems
|   with her brother's book is that "Papa
was more complex than Aram says he
was."
■ Aram thinks his book portrays a
more complex view of his father than
was revealed in William Saroyan's
public life.
" 'Last Rites' shows a deeper antt-
more compellingly human man than
bis public legend had portrayed,"
Aram said. "This is who William
Saroyan was.
7 haven't read Christine Crawford's
book," Aram said. 'But I got the
idea she was very negative across
the board whereas I felt great love
for my father, as well as anger.'
H
f^m^eWW^sSM
A- SAROYAN
regretted it. He said he never wanted
to do that again. His will was meant as
a way to protect his properties from
being sold, and it didn't offend me."
Aram's book clearly shows his
anger at parts of his father's will and
the father who wrote it. Most of the
book chronicles tbe turbulent father-
son relationship between the two men.
Near the end of the book, Aram
recounts a kind of deathbed reconciliation that occurs when he and his
father embrace In Saroyan's hospital
room at the Fresno Veterans Administration Hospital.
"I moved toward his forehead and
said, 'Goodbye, Pop,' just before kissing him," Aram's book says.
"And thai, without hesitation, he
flung his arm over my shoulder as I
leaned over him and the kiss turned
into a hug. Suddenly I found myself
holding my dying father...."
In discussing that passage in his
book, Aram told Insight "You have to
be grateful that it happened at all
under any circumstances. It substantively healed our relationship. I hope
it will give hope to some who have
gone through this passage with their
parents. It was totally unexpected."
Aram is writing a second book
about his father, this one to be called
"William Saroyan." It is set to be
released   by   Harcourt   Brace
Jovanovich in June, according to
Aram.
"It will be the first biography that
has been done on my father," Aram
said. "In this book I try to put aside all
my own personal feelings and talk as
objectively as possible of what he did
in his Jife and work. It was not a difficult assignment because I had an
enormous amount of interest in his
work and life."
While Lucy has no thoughts of
writing a biography on her father, she
hopes that his letters to her may appear in print someday.
"I still have all Papa's letters to'
me," Lucy said. "He was a man who
could give you his undivided attentions. He cared about bis children's
spirits and hearts. My letters prove
him to be a devoted, loving, funny and
aware parent
"All his interests and devotions
show up in his letters," she said. "In
his lettersThe encouraged me to write,
to travel. He always encouraged me
to take big bites out of life, to go for
broke at certain times."
There is a letter to Lucy from her
father dated Jan. 26,1967:
"Take care of yourself. And be
easy and comfortable and unafraid
and delighted to be who you are —
mostly that. I love you. Papa"
of his book printed in the July 1962
issue of "California Magazine" under
the title "Daddy Dearest." That title
was inspired by the book "Mommy
Dearest" in which Christina Crawford
/chronicled the bitter relationship between herself and her actress mother
Joan Crawford.
"I haven't read Christina
"Crawford's book," Aram said. "But I
got the idea she was very negative
across the board whereas I feel great
love for my father, as well as anger.
Pop was hell on wheels as a
father. He was terrific too. That is
tbe guy to love — the guy with all tbe
problems."
Lucy's view strays from her
brother's here, too.
"He put in hard time as a father
and cared about both of us," she said.
"The night after he died, some
friends came over and we were
raiding through his letters to me One
of my friends was holding a letter and
started to cry. She said that in her
whole lifetime, sh>had never had so
much attention from nhr father as I
the icebox wasn't working. We all
started to laugh and we laughed so
hard we became hysterical. For about
12 hours we bought candles and food ,
and we laughed harder because we
didn't know how to say candles and
food (in Spanish).
"Pop told me, 'I was going to buy
you the donkey,' but we ended up having to move out because he was
dissatisfied with the place since
nothing worked.
"But that was one of the funniest
and happiest times of my life, and that
was a catastrophe! Just imaging^vhat
the good times were like. He could
make anything into a joyous affair.'
"It was nothing for Papa and me
to be in general hysterics. Generally,
when I was with my father, I was having fun. He was a man of depth and
dimension. He was a vigorous spirit to
be around.
"Occasionally  there  were  the
Armenian outbursts," she recalled.
"We didn't fight often, though. Occasionally we would, but we'd get over
it. I was always the mediator in our
his footsteps.
"My father felt I was his writer. I
did some writing at tbe time Aram
was doing concrete poetry, which is
one- and two-word poems. He was
disappointed in Aram's writing.
Writing was more than one or two
words to Pop. I wrote eight short
stories and showed them to him. He
wept.
"He said, 'This is my dream come
true, you are my writer.'
"Unfortunately, I didn't feel that
way. Papa always said, 'A writer is a
person who can't not write.' I don't
seem to have that compulsion. I am a
person who can not write," she laugh-
ed.
Lucy said her father explained
the reasoning behind part of his will to
her-about eight years before his
oWth.
"He wanted to make sure that his
unpublished and published work
would be handled as he wanted. He
did not want to sell his work to TV and
motion pictures. He sold the movie
rights to "The Human Comedy" and
WILLIAM SAROYAN
Van Galder 'keeps ship afloat
Interim AD acts  easygoing in hfgh tension job
EN JOHNSON ..    _ „  ' ..* ■ '       •       M    '
KENJOl
Insight reporter
Van Galder characterizes himself athletics at Fresno High School where "I've been here 20 years. Ten as a
as an easygoing type of individual he was a four-sport letterman in foot- coach and 10 as an assistant athletic
who likes to be around people. Tbe two ball, basketball, track and baseball, director and teacher," Van Galder
Robert Van Galder is a captain of   doors leading to his office in tbe He was named Fresno High's Athlete said,  who  worked  primarily  with
sorts and he runs a tight ship.               athletic department are always open of the Year as a senior in 1955. eligibility and academics before tak-
Wltfa the CSUF athletic depart-   for visitors to come in and talk to him.          He is a 1961 graduate of CSUF ing the interim job. "The athletic
ment finding itself in some pretty   Van Galder jokes that he leaves them where he earned two letters in football director's job isn't the same as it used
rough waters after news of athletic   open for an escape when he sees trou- and one in basketball. In i960, Van to be 10 years ago.
probation and constant pressure from   ble coming through them. Galder was all-league, second team The AD used to be kind of a cushy
coaches   and   tbe  community,   be         "I have a long fuse and I try to Little All-Coast and honorable men- job. Now, when your talking millions
almost has to.                                    talk things out if I can," Van Galder tion Utile All-America in football. of dollars in the budget it takes a
Van Galder is CSUF's interim   said, adding he can be tough if he has         Van Galder started coaching at pretty good bookkeeper.
athletic director and assumed tbe   to. "I like to think I can communicate CSUF in 1961 as a graduate assistant "It's a funny position that I am in
too fast over recent years as some Western Michigan University; and
hare criticized. He said the upper ad- Ken Droscber, athletic director at UC
ministration of tbe university sets tbe   Santa Barbara.
tone and "if they don't want you
grow, you don't grow."
"I think there's a place in this
community for a school and a program our size. It's obvious we are
satisfying, a need or we wouldn't be
responding tbe way we are," be said.
Van Galder said Haak has set up a
meeting with the coaching staff to
discuss   the  restructuring   of  the
"I was taken over to tbe presi-
oent's bouse (Dr. Harold Haak) under
an umbrella table in bis backyard and
la taw hours he and Gus Graham
(assistant to tbe president for
athletics) asked ma If I wanted tbe
position," aald Van Galder with a
smile breaking on his face. "I never
really said yea, and when I asked
tl-iamlfllaedacnotretheysaid'no.'"
structure, Van Galder said tbe new
AD will have ultimate power to hire
and fire his staff.
He said he knows five of tbe six
position after former Athletic Direc-   with people and we can solve pro-   to Cecil Coleman on tbe undefeated   because people know that I am just   athletic department Under the new
tor Russ Sloan's contract was not   blems before they get out of band."      Mercy Bowl team. He stayed in that  passing through, and yet we don't
renewed on Oct 1 Van Galder, whose father was the   position for the next 10 years under   want to do lust nothing. Hopefully we
Van Gaidar,- a former athlete,   football coach at CSUF from 1952   former head coaches Phil Krueger  have done the things that have needed
graduate and coach at CSUF will keep   through 1958, first got his start in   and Darryl Rogers. to be done, and like I said, the really
tbe position of interim athletic direc-     large tilings have been put off."
tor until a new director is appointed   ■ —-—^^^^^^^^^^^^^        One of the "large things" Van   people interviewing for the job and
later this semester. Interviews are  ■ ■ Galder is talking about is football   feels confident any of them can do a
currently  underway  for  the  six-   ■ ■ scheduling. Van Galder said the foot-   good job. Currently interviewing for
finalists vying for the position and a   ■ ■ ball schedule is made up for the next    the position of AD are Mary Alice Hill,
decision should be made around  ■ ■ two years and some games are set   assistant athletic director at San
March l, Van Galder said. ■ over the next 10 years. The new AD   Diego State; Jack Lengel, assistant
"Basically, what being the in-  ■ ■has verbal commitments with if   athletic director at Miasouri;  Joe
terim athletic director means is that  ■ ■ something better comes along, Van   Singleton, athletic director at UC
you try to keep tbe ship afloat," he   ■ ■ Galder said. Davis; Dr. Richard Young, recent
said. "The athletic assistants, who  ■ Van Galder does not feel that tbe   athletic director at Oklahoma State;
pretty much have attained the jobs   ■ ■ CSUF athletic department has grown   Tom Wonderling, athletic director at
they had under the previous athletic  ■
director, and myself all work together
and between us we do what really
needs to be done.
Soma of tbe really large decisions
that don't really have to be made right
now, wa are holding off on until tbe
new athletic director fat chosen so
than isn't sorjvething major that ia go-
ing to affect him or bar once they get
Van Galder said be was selected
f or the post mainly because he is not a
candidate and showed no Interest in
"At this day and age at a school
our size, you have to be a good public
relations person," said Van Galder in
regard to the new AD. "We hare some
very strong coaches who fight very
hard for their programs. But you
have to walk the tightrope a little bit.
You have a lot of dealing with tbe
community so there has to be time
given In that regard. We want a fair
person, a hard-working person and
one who's a good listener."
The Job of an athletic director certainly does not begin at 8 and end at 5,
Van Galder said. It takes long hours to
get the job done, he added.
"It's an interesting job," he said.
"I don't know if I would want to do it
(AD) for tbe rest of my life. I think the
thing that is saving me la that I know I
am only going to do It for another
month."
And if a major problem did come
up?
"I haven't sacrificed anything
yet but I'll go down with the ship."
Canales: Urges communication,,
book* jsmaovicH/ii-i.*
ROBERT VAN GALDER
Continued from page 1
tion" on the developer's part.
"If it's like the Meadow Wood, the intent of the builder
isn't to convert," he said, "but Just get the map so when he
sells the place, it increases tbe value."
Canales said all student presidents need to know
about tbe issue since It affects tbe students and the entire
campus community.
"I would advise the next president to communicate
with city council and staff, tbe student body, tbe housing
office and with local developers," Canales said. "I've
found that by doing that, a lot of problems with these con-
do conversions can be diffused.
"The Meadow Wood conversion is what got a lot of
this started. It triggered student opposition."
Canales said no students from tbe Vintage Woods
have contacted him.
Graduate student Kay Belyea, who has lived in the
apartment complex since June 1981, said that she had not
been notified of tbe coming city council meeting but that
Ashley has kept his tenants aware of tbe situation.
Belyea said that when she signed her lease, Information about a possible future conversion to conclominiums
was in the agreement. And she said she received a notice
about tbe Planning Commission hearing held last month
Belyea and her roommate, Cheryl U Frand. a senior
economics major,  cannot make the Tuesday  night
analea will be there, though, waiting to see the outcome of his labor. "I'm really excited about seeing an end
come to this," be said
Should the proposal pass, Canalea said ha will be
"really disappointed," although he will not stop fighting.
"I would have to reevaluate what would seem to be
tbe city's commitment to affordable student houslna " he
's commitment to affordable student housing," he
••These are real issues -pocketbook issues - and
they concern the student."