Manhattan has been the birthplace and home to many who have made their mark on the world with their literary talent. One such figure is Truman Capote, the acclaimed writer famous for classics like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood. Capote was also celebrated for his unique literary style and his massive contribution to both fiction and non-fiction literature. We’ll delve deeper into his life and work right here on manhattan1.one.
Childhood and Early Years
The future author was born on September 30, 1924, in New Orleans to Joseph and Lillie Persons. Many considered his parents an odd couple due to their significant age difference. Joseph was a charming schemer, while 17-year-old Lillie was desperate to escape her provincial life before marriage. The couple barely cared for their son, often leaving him in the care of others. Truman spent most of his youth under the guardianship of his mother’s relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. The frequent neglect he experienced during his childhood, along with the culture of the American South—with its traditions, eccentricities, poverty, and memories of the Civil War—all profoundly influenced the formation of his personality and his writing prowess. Capote once confessed that at the age of 8, he promised himself he would become a writer and tirelessly pursued that goal. He wrote his first story at the age of 10. Like his mother, he dreamed of escaping his confined surroundings. His chance came at age 12 when his parents divorced. In 1932, Lillie married Joseph Capote, a successful Cuban businessman, and moved her son to live with them in New York City. Officially adopted by his stepfather, the boy immediately changed his surname to Capote. Lillie could be both cruel and kind to her son, and he never knew what to expect from her. She often picked on him for his effeminate nature and for being different from other boys. His stepfather seemed like a more balanced person, but Truman rejected his help and support at the time. A mediocre student overall, Capote excelled in the subjects that interested him but paid little attention to those that didn’t pique his curiosity. From 1933 to 1936, he attended the Trinity School in Manhattan. Capote was an unusual boy with a natural gift for storytelling and entertaining people. His mother always wanted to make her son more masculine and believed that sending him to military academy would help. The 1936–1937 school year at St. John’s Military Academy in New York was a disaster for Capote. Being the smallest in his class, he was often mocked by the other cadets. Upon returning to Manhattan, Capote began to attract public attention with his schoolwork. Several teachers noted his writing talent. In 1939, his family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where Truman enrolled in Greenwich High School. He stood out among his classmates with his cheerful demeanor. Eventually, he gathered a company of friends who often came to his house to smoke, drink, and dance. In search of adventure, Capote and his friend Phoebe Pierce visited New York several times, sneaking into the most popular nightclubs of the era. While the Capote family lived in Greenwich, Lillie began drinking heavily, making their family life unstable. Truman struggled with school, and after returning with his family to Manhattan in 1942, he had to repeat the 12th grade at Franklin School. Instead of studying, Capote spent his evenings in clubs.
Career Launch and First Stories
Later, working as a copyboy at The New Yorker magazine, Capote became familiar with the best works and authors of the time. Although The New Yorker rejected his stories, Capote’s first published work, titled Miriam, appeared in Mademoiselle magazine in 1945. Capote’s story caught the attention of Mary Aswell, fiction editor at Harper’s Bazaar. In the October 1945 issue, the magazine published another of Capote’s dark and eerie tales, called A Tree of Light. These works, along with My Side of the Matter and Jug of Silver, helped the young man kickstart his career and opened the doors to New York’s literary world. It’s important to note that while working on his first novel, Capote received help from Carson McCullers. Thanks to her, he was admitted to Yaddo, the famous artists’ colony in upstate New York. Capote spent part of the summer of 1946 there, working on his novel and completing the story The Headless Hawk, which was published in Mademoiselle that autumn.
Books, Screenplays, and Creative Style
Capote’s first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, received mixed reviews. It told the story of a boy sent to live with his father after his mother’s death. His father’s house is an old, derelict plantation. For some time, the boy does not see his father and is forced to interact with his stepmother. Although some critics were troubled by certain elements of the story, such as the homosexual themes, many reviewers recognized Capote’s raw talent as a writer. In addition to praise and popularity, Capote fell in love in 1948. That same year, he met writer Jack Dunphy at a party, and they soon began a relationship that lasted 35 years. In the early years, the couple traveled extensively, spending time in Europe and other locales while working on their projects. Following the success of his first novel, Capote released a collection of short stories, also titled A Tree of Light, published in 1949. Not content to stay in the shadows for long, he published his travel essays as a book, Local Color, in 1950. The much-anticipated novel The Grass Harp came out in the autumn of 1951. This whimsical story is about an unusual group of characters who find refuge from their problems in a large tree. At the request of a Broadway producer, Capote adapted the work for the stage. The sets and costumes were designed by Truman’s close friend Cecil Beaton. The comedy opened in March 1952 and ran for 36 performances. In 1953, Capote got a job in film. He co-wrote part of the screenplay for the movie Stazione Termini (later released in the US as Indiscretion of an American Wife), starring Jennifer Jones and Montgomery Clift. Capote and Clift became friends during the filming in Italy. After completing that project, Truman soon began work on the screenplay for the film Beat the Devil. However, his best screenplay was written many years later when he adapted Henry James’s novel The Turn of the Screw. Despite the previous stage setback, Capote adapted his story set in a Haitian brothel, House of Flowers, for the stage. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1954, starring Pearl Bailey. Despite the best efforts of Truman and the performers, the musical failed to attract enough critical and audience attention. It closed after 165 performances. Capote, who always gravitated towards elite circles, soon became a popular social figure. His friends included fashion icon Gloria Guinness, CBS founder William S. Paley and his wife Babe, and future First Lady Jackie Kennedy, among many others. In the late 1950s, Capote began discussing a novel based on this world of high society, naming it Answered Prayers. In 1958, Truman scored another major success with Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It told the story of Holly Golightly, a young woman who depended on men for her livelihood. With his characteristic style and brilliance, Capote created a captivating character in a well-crafted story. Three years later, the book was adapted into a film starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly. Capote had wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the lead and was disappointed with the adaptation.
Final Years
In Cold Blood was yet another masterpiece of non-fiction prose. Capote poured years of effort and immense emotional energy into writing it. The novel was a runaway hit with both critics and the public. To bring the true story to life, Truman had to employ a number of fictional techniques. After its publication in 1966, the novel instantly became a bestseller. A year later, it was adapted into a film starring Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, followed by a mini-series. Even though the novel brought the writer immense recognition and wealth, Capote began drinking heavily and taking tranquilizers to calm his shattered nerves after the project. His drug problems worsened in the following years. Before his death, Capote fell twice and was hospitalized in Long Island due to a drug overdose. When his health slightly improved, Truman decided to visit his old friend Joanne Carson in California. He died at her home on August 25, 1984, at the age of 59. After Capote’s death, Joanne received a portion of her friend’s ashes. In 2016, the writer’s ashes were sold at an auction in Los Angeles to an anonymous buyer for $43,750. Capote’s life has inspired many books, several films, and television shows. The writer’s work remains highly valued by contemporaries to this day.