Dans Papers - June 8, 2007 - Capote's Return

The wonderful sea breeze blows across the Hamptons every day. The sun rules this narrow strip of farmland inundated by multimillion-dollar homes. Lanes, Drives and Old Country Roads wind you through land with vistas no photo or painting can do justice. It was here that the tormented soul of Truman Capote sought solace, solitude and the company of close friends.

Over the bar at Bobby Van's is an old photo of Jim Jones, Truman, John Knowles and Willie Morris standing in front of the original Bobby Van's, which was located across the street from the present one. Back then, a barbershop occupied part of the location. Marty Trunzo, now 88 and still cutting hair in Sag Harbor, used to cut Howard Hughes' hair for twenty cents and a quarter tip there.

Born in New Orleans on September 30, 1924, Truman Streckfus Persons would be raised by his relatives in Alabama while his aunt Marie Rudisill became the "fruitcake lady" on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Truman would eventually take his stepfather's last name. During Johnny Carson's second marriage, Truman Capote had dinner with the legend and his wife sometimes three days a week in New York City. But it was Johnny's wife, Joanne Carson, who was to be his friend to the very end.

Truman Capote also befriended East Hampton native Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy's sister. His list of female friends drew from a pool of all the wives of the most powerful and prominent men in the country, including CBS TV founder Bill Paley's wife, Babe Paley. He would drive from one mansion to another to hear the sad tales of divorce, deceit and loneliness while cocktailing privately with the wives of the rich and famous. Openly gay, Truman kept a property in Bridgehampton where he and his non-exclusive life partner, playwright Jack Dunphy, had separate homes.

Hired in 1972 by Rolling Stone Magazine to cover the touring Rolling Stones, Truman and Mick Jagger argued and eventually went at it. Unable to write the story, Capote himself was interviewed about the tour and Rolling Stone ran that. Andy Warhol interviewed Truman. Another favorite story is how Andy Warhol came to paint a portrait of Truman. Usually receiving almost a million dollars per portrait, Warhol instead made the deal to have Truman write one article a month for his magazine. At first, Capote would basically be interviewed by Andy about something and the story would run, but after a short time, Capote was in front of a typewriter, banging out great articles for Warhol until the deal was done.

A public personality to the end of his life, Truman Capote was the ultimate guest at luncheons in the Hamptons. He eventually used the confidential information he learned at these intimate gatherings to write a piece for The New Yorker that burned many social bridges for him.

Some say Capote was the queen of the bathhouse circuit in New York City, specializing in unaccomplished lovers. Yet, at the same time, he was on the arm of Katherine Graham for their famous "Black and White Balls" at the Plaza Hotel in New York, where guests had to wear black and white, as a reference to ink and paper. Invitations to this ball were exclusive.

After many successes, like his award-winning novel, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote drowned in his own success. In the process, he would beach himself long enough to make a splash here and there. In his decline, Truman was not glamorous or productive. Joanne Carson took him in and nursed him in his final years. He died in her home on August 25, 1984 at the age of 59. The cause of death was "liver disease complicated by phlebitis." At first, he was interned at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. However, when his longtime partner in life, Jack Dunphy, died twelve years later, Truman's remains where brought back to the East End and mixed together with the ashes of Jack Dunphy. Their ashes were then scattered at Crooked Pond, located between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor.

There are so many souls that must dance in the ocean breeze of the summer season of the Hamptons. In fact, it was Truman Capote who called the Hamptons, "Kansas with a sea breeze." The dance is done by those so very alive and those deceased, who come back to their heaven on earth.