Truman Capote reads "A Christmas Memory" (our family favorite)

[Omaha Steve]

I used to read this every year in class when my children were in grade school. I also read it a couple times for my garanddaughters class. The Emmy winning TV version with Geraldine Page is very hard to find. Enjoy. :-)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179551/



http://lgbthmuk.blogspot.com/2007/12/truman-capote-reads-christmas-memory.html

Monday, December 31, 2007
Truman Capote reads "A Christmas Memory"

Below is a link to a recording of Truman Capote reading his short story A Christmas Memory. It shows a very different Truman Capote from the one depicted in the film Capote; a sensitive and caring Capote; the one who wrote Other Voices, Other Rooms and The Grass Harp.

A Christmas Memory (36min - Real Player required)

The recording is availalbe on the American Public Media website which can be found here and houses many gems.

The LGBT History Month would like to wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

[patrice]

1. Absolutely one of America's GREATEST talents ever. God Bless Truman Capote. nt

[PSPS]

2. A couple of interesting facts about Capote:

1. He wrote the original "Breakfast at Tiffany's" novel.

2. His personal assistant when he went to Garden City, Kansas to investigate the Clutter murders (the foundation for his story "In Cold Blood," first published as a four-part serial in The New Yorker where he worked and later published in book form by Random House) was Harper Lee, author of the Pulitzer-winning "To Kill A Mockingbird." They were life long friends since childhood and the character "Dill" in Lee's story was fashioned after Capote.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. One gets the feeling...

That there were a lot of Trumans living in that poor, beat-up body. I worked for a Big Rock Star back in the 70's and he and his wife moved in the same social circles as Capote, Warhol, Burroughs and a lot of others. Truman was not particularly known for his milk of human kindness, especially when he was taking the waters. Which was usually.

[NoQuarter]

4. "Taking the waters"

virtually became Capote's only pastime, upon the monumental success of In Cold Blood. His problem? "How can I top this?" Nothing of significance came after that...except his Black & White Ball which was the most sought-after invitation of that rarified stratum he came to inhabit after ICB.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. Well, a big part of the problem was...

That whilst he was in the arms of Bacchus, he was also taking pills, which is never a good thing. Made for some very bizarre and uncomfortable moments, moments that NYC Society worked aciduously to sweep under any rug they could lay their hands upon at the time. They were most solicitous of Truman and his "quirks".

Luckily, my boss at the time was far less enamoured of moving withing those lofty circles as his wife was, so when we were getting toasted together, he would tell me the stories of all those he came in contact with, socially.

And we think we're weird. Hah.