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Capote: Dear Heart, Old Buddy
The portrait of Truman Capote in John Malcolm Brinnin's Sextet, published in 1981, was hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "masterly...it reads like a novella." Now two years after Capote's death, Brinnin has greatly expanded upon that original reminiscence to take the reader past the time of Capote's Completion of In Cold Blood to his death in 1984. This is a book that must be read by anyone seriously interested in one of our finest modern writers.
As the author points out in his Foreword, more objective accounts of Truman Capote's life will be published, but no one will tell the story more personally or affectionately. We travel the full arc of Capote's adult life, starting in the late 1940s when the enfant terrible of the literary world was just beginning to make waves. Mr. Brinnin, one of Capote's dearest friends, captures the soul of the man and the writer. But he does not flinch from describing that unfortunate shift in persona from a prodigy to the mascot of café society. After Capote's hard, glittering success with In Cold Blood, Mr. Brinnin "began to surrender to an image [of Capote] that floated like a Macy's balloon on Thanksgiving Day, over the watching multitude and to lose sight of the man I knew."
This is not, however, merely a chronicle of wasted talent. We hear fascinating discussions with Capote and other literary people about his "nonfiction novel" techniques, talks between the author and Tennessee Williams about why Williams and Capote had been "doing the dirty dozens" on each other all their lives, and finally, discussions with Capote about his long-awaited, never-realized Answered Prayers.
Upon publication of Sextent, Seymour Krim in The Washington Post Book World wrote: "Brinnin is a true grandson of Henry James and Marcel Proust, and in keeping with our documentary age, takes that drawing-room awareness into the close quarters of steamy reality." Readers of this touching memoir will be glad that Capote had such a perceptive and devoted friend.
Jacket design by Barbara Iris Ulan
Photo of Truman Capote and author's photo copyright by Rollie McKenna
As the author points out in his Foreword, more objective accounts of Truman Capote's life will be published, but no one will tell the story more personally or affectionately. We travel the full arc of Capote's adult life, starting in the late 1940s when the enfant terrible of the literary world was just beginning to make waves. Mr. Brinnin, one of Capote's dearest friends, captures the soul of the man and the writer. But he does not flinch from describing that unfortunate shift in persona from a prodigy to the mascot of café society. After Capote's hard, glittering success with In Cold Blood, Mr. Brinnin "began to surrender to an image [of Capote] that floated like a Macy's balloon on Thanksgiving Day, over the watching multitude and to lose sight of the man I knew."
This is not, however, merely a chronicle of wasted talent. We hear fascinating discussions with Capote and other literary people about his "nonfiction novel" techniques, talks between the author and Tennessee Williams about why Williams and Capote had been "doing the dirty dozens" on each other all their lives, and finally, discussions with Capote about his long-awaited, never-realized Answered Prayers.
Upon publication of Sextent, Seymour Krim in The Washington Post Book World wrote: "Brinnin is a true grandson of Henry James and Marcel Proust, and in keeping with our documentary age, takes that drawing-room awareness into the close quarters of steamy reality." Readers of this touching memoir will be glad that Capote had such a perceptive and devoted friend.
Jacket design by Barbara Iris Ulan
Photo of Truman Capote and author's photo copyright by Rollie McKenna
- GenresNonfiction
182 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1986
53 people want to read
About the author
John Malcolm Brinnin
51 books3 followersWhen still a boy, Brinnin's parents moved to Detroit, Michigan. Brinnin went to the University of Michigan for his undergraduate studies where he won three Hopwood Awards in 1938, 1939 and 1940. He worked his way through school in an Ann Arbor book store. During part of this time (1936–1938), Brinnin served as the editor of the journal Signatures. Graduating from Michigan in 1942, Brinnin went to Harvard University for graduate work.
From 1949 to 1956 Brinnin was Director of the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Poetry Center, popularly known today as the 92nd Street Y. While there he raised the center to national attention as a focal point for poetry in the United States. He was, for example, the first person to bring Dylan Thomas to the United States and his 1955 book Dylan Thomas in America describes much of his attempt to befriend and help the troubled Welsh poet.
In addition to his work on Thomas, Brinnin published six volumes of his own poetry. Brinnin also wrote scholarly works on T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, and William Carlos Williams; and published three personal travelogues.
Brinnin taught in a number of universities over his career. At various times, he gave courses at Vassar College, Boston University, the University of Connecticut, and Harvard University.
Brinnin died in Key West, Florida on June 25, 1998. His papers were left to the University of Delaware.
From 1949 to 1956 Brinnin was Director of the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Poetry Center, popularly known today as the 92nd Street Y. While there he raised the center to national attention as a focal point for poetry in the United States. He was, for example, the first person to bring Dylan Thomas to the United States and his 1955 book Dylan Thomas in America describes much of his attempt to befriend and help the troubled Welsh poet.
In addition to his work on Thomas, Brinnin published six volumes of his own poetry. Brinnin also wrote scholarly works on T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, and William Carlos Williams; and published three personal travelogues.
Brinnin taught in a number of universities over his career. At various times, he gave courses at Vassar College, Boston University, the University of Connecticut, and Harvard University.
Brinnin died in Key West, Florida on June 25, 1998. His papers were left to the University of Delaware.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 20, 2021
Brinnin give an intimate view into the mind of Truman Capote without intension. No cattiness, and a lot of respect that the kindest of person would find hard to do given Capote's self-absorption and abandonment of friends who get too close to his sun.
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March 19, 2022I loved this book. His writing flows superbly. His observations are acute. His story is rollicking.
January 20, 2022
CAPOTE!!! The king. The goat. Love him or hate him (I love him), he's fantastic and Brinnin captures Capote's enigmatic character and affectionate yet off-putting nature incredibly well.
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April 14, 2016A quick read, but if you are not a Capote fan, it will probably be too peripheral. Unfortunately, the author divulges very little about his own life, which is a major disappointment. If Brinnin had been more honest about his own experiences, disappointments, life events, the novel would have been more fulfilling.
September 22, 2012
What a sad man....
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews