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...