Conversations with Capote

Grobel is a great interviewer, and his extended interview here (I seem to recall that it was actually a series of interviews) shows his abilities in full flower. Capote comes off as flawed, to say the least, but he's in rare form throughout and it makes for riveting reading. I'd say this book is a must for Capote's fans.

Pulled this one out of the TBR stack after watching Capote on DVD. I don't know why I'm fascinated by Capote. He could be such a mean, bitchy little gossip, but I can't help myself. I still think he was brilliant. This book has a great introduction written by James Michener where he thanks Capote for being so flamboyant and outrageous. He said people needed to be reminded that artists weren't like other people, and since most writers are, like Michener, plodding, boring people, Capote was sort of taking up their slack.

So, the conversations in this book were about growing up, being famous, writing both In Cold Blood and Answered Prayers, celebrities, other writers, homosexuality, and drug/alcohol abuse. Interesting stuff, even if there show more are a few rather sharp barbs interspersed throughout.

I'll probably read Gerald Clarke's biography of Capote soon. show less

Always fascinated by Capote - ever since I first saw him on the Dick Cavett Show telling that story about the dog jumping off of the balcony from several stories up. He's talking.