Truman Capote Biography

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World of Criminal Justice on Truman Capote

A master at blending fact and fiction, both in his writing and in his personal life, Truman Capote was born on September 30, 1924, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His childhood was difficult due his parents' divorce, his mother's decision to send Truman to live with relatives, and the son's disconnection from his father. To survive these difficulties, Capote began writing.

In 1941, after having returned to his mother's home after a stint in a military academy, Capote skipped college and began working for the New Yorker as a file clerk. Finding this job not terribly exciting, Capote soon quit and began submitting his writing to various magazines. Within a few months, Capote sold his first story, "Miriam," to Mademoiselle. This sale began Capote's career as a highly successful published writer and began the first of his four phases of writing.

Capote's first phase of writing included Other Voices, Other Rooms, the story of a young boy searching for himself while trying to reconnect with his father. In the second phase, over a ten year period, Capote moved to Europe and traveled extensively. Capote's most well known writing from this period is Breakfast at Tiffany's. This book, which was adapted for a film, combined Capote's real-life tales and make-believe characters, like the flighty young woman, Holly Golightly.

In 1959, Capote began his career's third phrase with the publication of In Cold Blood, which took Capote's love of the art and craft of journalism to another level. In Cold Blood reported the murder of the Clutter family, including the story of the murderers. With this book, Capote gained the recognition--both personal and financial--he had wanted. However, he also suffered acute stress and began taking tranquilizers, to which he later became addicted.

In 1966, Capote's career began its fourth phase, dominated by his efforts to complete a nonfiction work, Answered Prayers. In 1972, Capote wrote Answered Prayers' last chapter first, and between 1975 and 1976, he published another four chapters in Esquire. However, he never completed the book.

In 1980, Capote's Music for Chameleons was published. This collection of stories, like In Cold Blood, combined both narrative and reporting to create tales of crime. Music for Chameleons was Capote's last major published work. In 1984, after many years of drug addiction, Capote died of liver disease.

Recent Updates

July 13, 2004: Capote's novel Breakfast at Tiffany's was serialized in its entirety in the New York Times' Metro section as part of a summer promotion. Source: Associated Press, http://customwire.ap.org (July 13, 2004)

August 17, 2004: George Plimpton's 1997 biography of Capote will be adapted as a film written and directed by Doug McGrath and starring Toby Jones. Source: New York Times, www.nytimes.com, August 17, 2004.

November 30, 2004: Capote's first novel, an unpublished manuscript called "Summer Crossing," which Capote claimed to have destroyed, will by auctioned by Sotheby's. Source: Associated Press, http://customwire.ap.org, November 30, 2004.