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Truman Capote Biography

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The Bulldog

An American author, screenwriter, playwright, and actor, Truman Capote was considered a literary genius. The acclaimed writer was born Truman Streckfus Persons in New Orleans on September 30, 1924 (Truman Capote).

An only child, Truman was largely neglected by his parents, who were a strange pair. His parents, Lillie Mae Faulk and conman Archulus Persons, divorced when Truman was only four years old, leaving him to live with relatives (Truman Capote). As he grew older, he was bullied in school for being a “wimp”, because of his feminine mannerisms.

In 1934, Lillie Mae remarried to a successful businessman named Joe Capote (Truman Capote Biography) She reclaimed her son and moved her family to Manhattan, New York. Truman …show more content…

Between 1943 and 1946, he wrote a plethora of notable, continual fiction for magazines and literary quarterlies both. Publishers included, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s Magazine, The New Yorker, and many others. His series included titles such as “My Side of Matter”, and “Shut a Final Door”, for which he won the O. Henry Award in 1948.

As Capote’s popularity grew, so did the length of his works. The release of his first full length novel, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, marked his first taste of real, mainstream success (Truman Capote Biography). The money was rolling in, and big money means big excess. Drugs, alcohol, and parties plagued the author. Spending most of his time with such elite personalities as the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe, it became his norm, and his reputation as a high roller became widely known.

Truman became a very important man in the art world, fully embracing fashion and alternative culture. Although never fully embracing the gay rights movement, Capote was openly gay during a period where it was taboo and frowned upon (Truman Capote). His partner of thirty-five years, Jack Dunphy, was his childhood best friend and fellow author. Truman’s choice to be open about his sexuality made his fame even larger, because it was

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