It deserves noting that renowned raconteur, author and enfant terrible of American letters - who else but Truman Capote - would have been 85 on September 30th. His not making it to age 85 should not surprise, considering his alcoholism and drug use, but I do find it startling that he has actually been dead 25 years last month (expired August 1984 in Joanna Carson's home).
I've read many articles and books over the years that explore the gossamer yet steely friendship and rivalry of Capote, Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal. Gerald Clarke's biography deftly parses this particular triangle and many other difficult friendships of Capote's, notably his jealousy and dissing of his childhood friend Harper (To Kill a Mockingbird) Lee .
Donald Windham's memoir also shines a searing light on this triumvirate that can perhaps be characterized as America's gay Bloomsbury Circle. (Well, Bloomsbury was pretty avant garde, which in those days was code for gay!)
Those of you, like myself, who read non-literary (i.e. trash) books as well as literature may be aware that Jacqueline Susann's last book, Dolores, contained a scathing parody of Capote in the character of Horatio Capone. Capote had memorably said of Susann (and let's face it, she was a hack, but fantastic at self-promotion) "she looks like a truck driver in drag". Gossip had it that Susann was advised by her legal counsel to not sue Capote as all Capote had to do to win would be to bring a bunch of drag truck drivers into court! I think Capote's barb was said on the Tonight Show, and I remember seeing him say it, at least on tape if not at the time.
All of the books shown here are from my personal library, and they are all worth reading. Don't discount the Susann biography just because you discount her writing. She was as much a staple of the 60s/70s talk-shows as Capote and Vidal, and certainly gave the public what they wanted to read - un-literary but fast-paced stories about very unhappy show people.
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