How about celebrating by listening to a different song that Truman co-wrote lyrics with Harold Arlen, "Don't Like Goodbyes" sung by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Nelson Riddle, and played by The Hollywood String Quartet? I think this collaboration alone will be good for another ~250 years of cultural significance!
This article became a serendipitous indulgence for me. I read it twice, first with my customary informational speed. I then went back and savored every word. You evoked memories of Dad and I discussing his published works. (Also, I have memories of my Mother being disgusted by his public, gossipy persona.)
It was the synchronous descriptor “post-literate age” that generated this reply. Just yesterday my best girlfriend and I were being silly in our texts and referred to “best laid plans.” I replied something about Steinbeck and she rightfully reposited with Bobby Burns “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.” (We are both between 75 and 100.) We wondered if many under 25 would get either reference.
Background: Our friendship started with letters when we were 9 and I was living out of country. My Grandmother (her first grade teacher) and her Grandmother (my Grandmother’s best friend) decided we needed to be pen pals. We wrote for three years. We finally met in the summer of 1960 when we returned to the States and I visited my Grandparents in their small Pennsylvania town. We have never lived in the same state. She and I send pithy texts, and memes and use emoji’s. But we often treat texts as short notes with punctuation and spelling and apologies when we notice that our grammar faltered. We are, however, probably certifiable. I started taking Latin in 7th grade and she started in 9th — she wanted to accelerate so there was a time in High School when we wrote to each other in Latin. Although we text and call and even FaceTime occasionally, when we really want to communicate something, we send lengthy letters by email. I sent her your Substack. I expect an email sometime in the next two days. I am looking forward to it. Did I mention we have opinions?
Capote was one of the great raconteurs. It is a shame he spent more time riding the wave of celebrity, rather than writing. Those who see him as merely a caustic narcissist need to understand his traumatic upbringing. A great book, written as interviews spanning his lifetime is by George Plimpton. Very good read.
Another Capote format: Beat the Devil, a comic screenplay directed by John Huston, starring Bogart, Peter Lorre, Robert Morley.
As the postwar world begins to sort itself out a bunch of loosely connected swindlers board a tramp steamer bound for Africa in search of uranium. They do not know what it is or why it is valuable.
Each night after dinner, Huston, Capote, and Bogart gathered in the hotel bar to sketch the next day’s shoot.
Has the lightness & self-assurance of Basie head arrangements.
I like that you brought up the "next Hemingway" as I have always thought of Capote & Papa as two sides of the same coin. Both were unsurpassed masters of the art of writing. Less is more.
Agreed. It is easy to devour their writing and miss the powerful moments they describe simply. In an essay I can’t seem to find, someone explained the power of Hemingway by referencing a single line the shorty A Soldiers Home. “Krebs looked at the bacon fat hardening on his plate” - it appears simple, clear as a creek but the more you consider the moment in the context of the story the more insightful it becomes.
The same public that thought Paul Lind in the center of the Hollywood Squares was “flamboyant” thought same of Truman. As social media reveals all today, the rumor mill has lost some spice.
Meanwhile, could Dick Cavett’s long form discussions with Lennon, Welles, Brando, Woody Allen and others be credited as the forerunner of the podcast? People watched for 90 minutes with commercials…
He was a man of so many literary genres, forms and ideas, to say nothing of his ever shifting public persona, that it almost becomes impossible to understand who the real man behind it all was.
Coincidentally, today I stopped in our local public library where they hold a continuous book sale, and lo and behold, I picked up a hardcover of Portraits and Observations: The Essays of Truman Capote (Random House, 2007) for $2. So that’s I celebrated.
I read MUSIC FOR CHAMELEONS this year, and the most feral celebrity blogger couldn't approach in a million years the magnificent bitchiness of Capote's piece about a day spent with Marilyn Monroe, she his equal in every way--and the piece starts at a funeral!
Truman Capote's writing has been the benchmark I measure my writing against, hence I wrote this article, "Truman Capote: On His 100th Birthday, The Southern Literary Gadfly Still Gets Attention."
Enjoyed your article. For me, Capote's works were simply on the fringe of my attention and awareness, and your analysis added to what I learned from Ted.
Two sentences stuck in my mind, the first is: "Who doesn’t, at least to some degree, contort themselves to be loved, recognized, and accepted? I would say that an infinitesimal number don't, but the important thing is to realize from whom you'd want to receive those attributes.
The second one is: "If Truman Capote were alive today, with social media’s ability to create and destroy fame, I envision Capote would be constantly on the edge of his seat monitoring the digital circus, as most of us do." As I'm not one of the "most," I find that a somewhat sad commentary on where our world stands today, and as you pointed out, Capote pioneered the agenda.
I watched Murder By Death last night, in honor of Maggie Smith, and there was Truman. "I hope he knows how to stop that thing!"
How about celebrating by listening to a different song that Truman co-wrote lyrics with Harold Arlen, "Don't Like Goodbyes" sung by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Nelson Riddle, and played by The Hollywood String Quartet? I think this collaboration alone will be good for another ~250 years of cultural significance!
https://youtu.be/8my-sSiFaHE?feature=shared
This article became a serendipitous indulgence for me. I read it twice, first with my customary informational speed. I then went back and savored every word. You evoked memories of Dad and I discussing his published works. (Also, I have memories of my Mother being disgusted by his public, gossipy persona.)
It was the synchronous descriptor “post-literate age” that generated this reply. Just yesterday my best girlfriend and I were being silly in our texts and referred to “best laid plans.” I replied something about Steinbeck and she rightfully reposited with Bobby Burns “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.” (We are both between 75 and 100.) We wondered if many under 25 would get either reference.
Background: Our friendship started with letters when we were 9 and I was living out of country. My Grandmother (her first grade teacher) and her Grandmother (my Grandmother’s best friend) decided we needed to be pen pals. We wrote for three years. We finally met in the summer of 1960 when we returned to the States and I visited my Grandparents in their small Pennsylvania town. We have never lived in the same state. She and I send pithy texts, and memes and use emoji’s. But we often treat texts as short notes with punctuation and spelling and apologies when we notice that our grammar faltered. We are, however, probably certifiable. I started taking Latin in 7th grade and she started in 9th — she wanted to accelerate so there was a time in High School when we wrote to each other in Latin. Although we text and call and even FaceTime occasionally, when we really want to communicate something, we send lengthy letters by email. I sent her your Substack. I expect an email sometime in the next two days. I am looking forward to it. Did I mention we have opinions?
Capote was one of the great raconteurs. It is a shame he spent more time riding the wave of celebrity, rather than writing. Those who see him as merely a caustic narcissist need to understand his traumatic upbringing. A great book, written as interviews spanning his lifetime is by George Plimpton. Very good read.
Another Capote format: Beat the Devil, a comic screenplay directed by John Huston, starring Bogart, Peter Lorre, Robert Morley.
As the postwar world begins to sort itself out a bunch of loosely connected swindlers board a tramp steamer bound for Africa in search of uranium. They do not know what it is or why it is valuable.
Each night after dinner, Huston, Capote, and Bogart gathered in the hotel bar to sketch the next day’s shoot.
Has the lightness & self-assurance of Basie head arrangements.
I like that you brought up the "next Hemingway" as I have always thought of Capote & Papa as two sides of the same coin. Both were unsurpassed masters of the art of writing. Less is more.
Agreed. It is easy to devour their writing and miss the powerful moments they describe simply. In an essay I can’t seem to find, someone explained the power of Hemingway by referencing a single line the shorty A Soldiers Home. “Krebs looked at the bacon fat hardening on his plate” - it appears simple, clear as a creek but the more you consider the moment in the context of the story the more insightful it becomes.
"I am of those who like to stay late at the café," the older waiter said. "With
all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night."
--"A Clean Well-Lighted Place"
And Hemmingway was somehow an even worse person than Capote.
"That's not writing, that's typing," was always a great quote of his, and more than ever now, spot on.
No today it is transcription via AI not typing ... ;-)
The same public that thought Paul Lind in the center of the Hollywood Squares was “flamboyant” thought same of Truman. As social media reveals all today, the rumor mill has lost some spice.
Meanwhile, could Dick Cavett’s long form discussions with Lennon, Welles, Brando, Woody Allen and others be credited as the forerunner of the podcast? People watched for 90 minutes with commercials…
He was a man of so many literary genres, forms and ideas, to say nothing of his ever shifting public persona, that it almost becomes impossible to understand who the real man behind it all was.
Coincidentally, today I stopped in our local public library where they hold a continuous book sale, and lo and behold, I picked up a hardcover of Portraits and Observations: The Essays of Truman Capote (Random House, 2007) for $2. So that’s I celebrated.
I read MUSIC FOR CHAMELEONS this year, and the most feral celebrity blogger couldn't approach in a million years the magnificent bitchiness of Capote's piece about a day spent with Marilyn Monroe, she his equal in every way--and the piece starts at a funeral!
Truman Capote's writing has been the benchmark I measure my writing against, hence I wrote this article, "Truman Capote: On His 100th Birthday, The Southern Literary Gadfly Still Gets Attention."
https://www.thedailyscrumnews.com/truman-capote-on-his-100th-birthday-the-southern-literary-gadfly-still-gets-attention/
Nick,
Enjoyed your article. For me, Capote's works were simply on the fringe of my attention and awareness, and your analysis added to what I learned from Ted.
Two sentences stuck in my mind, the first is: "Who doesn’t, at least to some degree, contort themselves to be loved, recognized, and accepted? I would say that an infinitesimal number don't, but the important thing is to realize from whom you'd want to receive those attributes.
The second one is: "If Truman Capote were alive today, with social media’s ability to create and destroy fame, I envision Capote would be constantly on the edge of his seat monitoring the digital circus, as most of us do." As I'm not one of the "most," I find that a somewhat sad commentary on where our world stands today, and as you pointed out, Capote pioneered the agenda.
Again, thanks for the link.
I taught "In Cold Blood" to high school seniors. They loved it.
I slept with the bedroom light on for two weeks after reading “in cold blood”. Chilling. Brevity is the soul of wit
It’s a shame he didn’t write more.
This is one of your most brilliant essays. Thank you.
Fantastic post - thank you! Capote’s prose style is certainly one of the best of the 20th Century. So much talent, so little production.