OBITUARIES

By William Saroyan The last word on his contemporaries, William Saroyan is at his best in this witty sad, hilarious, poetic roll-call of the dead. From Busby Berkeley to Agatha Christie to Howard Hughes, each entry in the Necrology register of Variety magazine for the year 1976 is recalled, revivified, regaled, and/or revisited by their former intimate. Many others not on the list, who spring to mind via various associations, are here as well, so thus we are treated to tales of John Garfield's escapades in New York and San Francisco, declamations on the Armerican theatre, Armenians (of course) and John Wayne.  Creative Arts Book Company (1979)