On August 25, 1984, author Truman Capote, aged 59, breathed his last at the home of his friend, Joan Carson. Capote, who was a frequent guest on the television shows of Joan’s ex-husband Johnny Carson, had visited him often in the past.

Joan kept Truman’s ashes until her own death in 1984. In September 2016, news made the rounds that the famous and eccentric author’s ashes, which had remained intact after Joan’s death, were sold to auction in Los Angeles. The buyer received the ash for $43,750.

Truman Capote

The revolutionary Truman, the writer who with his important work “In the Cold” reformed the way of journalism and storytelling, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His childhood was marked by the contradictory relationship of his parents, who divorced when he was only four years old. In 1933 he moved to New York to live with his mother and her second husband, a Cuban businessman named Joseph Capote. Joseph adopted young Truman and renamed him Truman Garcia Capote.

Shortly after completing high school, he began working for the New Yorker magazine. Although he initially did not pay much attention to his work there, as he later stated, this experience inspired him for the future. Instead of pursuing university studies, he decides to devote himself to writing. An extraordinary talent, he won awards from his first short story, while his first novel helped build his reputation.

In November 1959, an episode of four unexplained murders of members of a family in Kansas piqued Capote’s interest. As a correspondent for the “New Yorker” magazine, Truman began an extensive investigation into the incident. This trip to the town of Holcomb, Kansas was accompanied by his writing partner, also author Harper Lee.

The Clutter family home

Capote created an atmospheric narrative, the result of his intensive research, about the life of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The narrative also presents the development of the two men, Richard and Perry, who are involved in the gruesome murder of the four family members. This work marks the first step of the new journalism, as it combines detailed research and narrative, highlighting a new way of dealing with the news.

Capote’s masterpiece In the Cold, which recorded an impressively successful journey in both the commercial and artistic worlds, was completed in 1966.

Richard and Perry, who are involved in the murder of the four members of the Clutter family

It was an unprecedented sales phenomenon, maintaining its position on the best seller list for 37 weeks. In this way, it gave the author fame and wealth on the one hand, as well as marked the course of his life with a self-destructive end. His story was brought to the big screen three times and won the Oscar for the late Phillip Hoffman.

Few American books have been able to achieve such a legendary reputation as “In the Cold”. Despite the passage of 52 years, the book still captivates readers, considered Truman’s masterpiece and one of the most prominent works of the 20th century.

Capote’s notes after his conversation with the Clutter family killers

The release of “In the Cold” was accompanied by a highly publicized party thrown by Capote on November 28, 1966. This event is recognized as an important moment of the 60s. From the beginning of his literary career, he had developed relationships with other writers, artists, personalities of high society, but also international celebrities. These relationships often attracted media attention, reflecting his vibrant and often tumultuous social life. He also did not hide his declared homosexuality.

Then his next literary work was the novel “Answered Prayers” (Answered Prayers), which, however, remained unfinished. With this work, Capote tried to depict the life of his rich and famous friends. In 1975, a quote from him was published in Esquire magazine, which caused a backlash from many of his friends as it revealed personal information.

During the last years of his life, Capote had chosen to isolate himself, possibly because of the rejection of many of his friends. During this period, his behavior in public appearances became extremely eccentric, with the possible influence of alcoholism and other drug abuse. During this period, his last literary work was the collection of short stories “Music for Chameleons”, which was published in 1980 while the author was still alive.