Editorial Content for Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal and a Swan Song for an Era
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Much has been written about Truman Capote’s rise and precipitous fall, when an excerpt from his novel of New York society revealed what he really thought of his wealthy friends. Veteran biographer Laurence Leamer’s focus is not only on the writer but on these stylish, glamorous women who trusted Capote with their secrets, only to be betrayed by his thinly veiled story.
"What CAPOTE’S WOMEN captures is how these myriad and multilayered friendships came about and nourished him for so long, until his inner demons proved too damning for all but a few of his faithful."
Witty and gay in every sense of the word, Capote was welcomed everywhere and knew how to engage his prey --- usually beautiful, wealthy, smart society women whom he genuinely admired. As he posed no threat to men, they and their wives --- his “swans,” as he called them --- adored him. The list of swans included Babe Paley, Pamela Churchill Harriman, Slim Hayward, Lee Radziwill (the younger sister of Jackie Onassis), C.Z. Guest, Marella Agnelli (who grew wary of Capote long before his exposé), and Gloria Guinness, a Mexican socialite. Long before most women could have successful careers, these ladies were obsessed with marrying rich, powerful men who could give them an entrée into society. Not one of them was happy with her husband or, in many cases, successive husbands.
Capote was part of New York society before the success of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, but that book and IN COLD BLOOD assured his place as a literary figure. His ability to develop friendships with interesting women extended back to his Southern childhood, when Carson McCullers and Harper Lee were companions long before they rose to fame. After his fall from society, Esquire published the excerpt from his ever-forthcoming novel, ANSWERED PRAYERS, in 1975. Some of his socialite friends like C.Z. and Lee remained (for a time, at least) by his side, but eventually drugs and alcohol consumed him. He died in Los Angeles, ironically while visiting his dear old friend, Joanne Carson --- Johnny’s ex-wife.
Capote’s own life story was so intertwined with his remarkable friendships that it’s impossible to understand the man without the friends. What CAPOTE’S WOMEN captures is how these myriad and multilayered friendships came about and nourished him for so long, until his inner demons proved too damning for all but a few of his faithful.
Teaser
Barbara "Babe" Paley, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, Slim Hayward, Pamela Churchill, C. Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill --- they were the toast of midcentury New York, each beautiful and distinguished in her own way. These women captivated and enchanted Truman Capote --- and at times, they infuriated him as well. He befriended them, received their deepest confidences, and ingratiated himself into their lives. Then, in one fell swoop, he betrayed them in the most surprising and shocking way possible. Laurence Leamer delves into the years following the acclaimed publication of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S in 1958 and IN COLD BLOOD in 1966, when Capote struggled with a crippling case of writer's block.
Promo
Barbara "Babe" Paley, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, Slim Hayward, Pamela Churchill, C. Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill --- they were the toast of midcentury New York, each beautiful and distinguished in her own way. These women captivated and enchanted Truman Capote --- and at times, they infuriated him as well. He befriended them, received their deepest confidences, and ingratiated himself into their lives. Then, in one fell swoop, he betrayed them in the most surprising and shocking way possible. Laurence Leamer delves into the years following the acclaimed publication of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S in 1958 and IN COLD BLOOD in 1966, when Capote struggled with a crippling case of writer's block.
About the Book
New York Times bestselling author Laurence Leamer reveals the complex web of relationships and scandalous true stories behind Truman Capote's never-published final novel, ANSWERED PRAYERS --- the dark secrets, tragic glamour and Capote's ultimate betrayal of the group of female friends he called his "swans."
"There are certain women," Truman Capote wrote, "who, though perhaps not born rich, are born to be rich." Barbara "Babe" Paley, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, Slim Hayward, Pamela Churchill, C. Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedy's sister) --- they were the toast of midcentury New York, each beautiful and distinguished in her own way. These women captivated and enchanted Capote --- and at times, they infuriated him as well. He befriended them, received their deepest confidences and ingratiated himself into their lives. Then, in one fell swoop, he betrayed them in the most surprising and shocking way possible.
Bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer delves into the years following the acclaimed publication of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S in 1958 and IN COLD BLOOD in 1966, when Capote struggled with a crippling case of writer's block. While enjoying all the fruits of his success --- including cultivating close friendships with the richest and most admired women of the era --- he was struck with an idea for what he was sure would be his most celebrated novel...one based on the remarkable, racy lives of his very, very rich friends.
For years, Capote attempted to write what he believed would have been his magnum opus, ANSWERED PRAYERS. But when he eventually published a few chapters in Esquire, the thinly fictionalized lives (and scandals) of his closest female confidantes were laid bare for all to see. The blowback incinerated his relationships and banished Capote from their high-society world forever...a world that was already crumbling, though none of them realized it yet. Laurence Leamer recreates in detail the lives of these fascinating swans, their friendships with Capote and one another, and the doomed quest to write what could have been one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.
Audiobook available, read by Carrington MacDuffie
