I can't say enough good things about the FX/Hulu docudrama “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” And I'll tell you this - even if you have not had my 50+-year fascination with Truman Capote's talent and why he wasted it away like pouring precious water out of a bottle in a sere American literary landscape that he could have helped flourish, you will enjoy this eight-part series as a study of humans and their friendships and their willingness to deal with the devil.
After Truman drove away almost all of the people who loved him in the New York society-page world that he once ruled, he wound up in California, sponging off Johnny Carson's ex-wife, Joanne. Not even she was enough encouragement for him to get off his aspidistra and finish what he promised would be his Next Great Book, "Answered Prayers." All of us who prayed for a chance to read that book got the same answer: Forget it.
After Truman died (1984) Joanne held onto a portion of his ashes for a decent period of mourning, and then auctioned them off for $44,000. She hoped that some young writer could be inspired by Truman Capote's boxed remains.
It is true that everyone could be a great writer; all of us walking around this earth have access to the same dictionaries and thesauri. The skill part is knowing which of those words to use, and when. And why, because Capote spent so much time idly gossiping with yentas that he forgot he could write about things that mattered.
Parceled off in a hand-carved Japanese wooden box, his ashes at least allowed him to urn a living again. Pun intended.
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