There are many writers who pen novels that withstand the changing styles, the ebb and flow of cultural interests, and linger in the human consciousness long after the author takes his last breath. Then, there are writers who pen stylistic masterpieces, but generate controversy in their personal lives and in their writing. My favourite writer, with utmost certainty, belongs to the latter group. His work inspired me to become a writer myself, as the prose, dedication to the story and the sheer magnitude of the project characterize his final novel – arguably the most famous true crime book of all time. “In Cold Blood” takes a gruesome, horrific crime and spins a masterfully crafted tale of murder, delving into the minds of both the perpetrators and neighbours of the victims. Truman Capote spent years researching his novel and living in a town he describes in a way that makes simplicity sound captivating. He writes that “the village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there.’”
In Toronto’s prestigious Yorkville, my best friend and I walk down streets peppered with buildings bearing expensive nametags – Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. – musing about the things we long for but cannot afford. Finally, though, we reach our destination – a hole in the wall, pop-up art gallery that honours one of the most iconic American artists, Andy Warhol.
The exhibit, Warhol Revisited, is more like a one-room exhibition of the author’s most famous work, decorated in the art deco style of silver plastic couches and black and white lines that one would often associate with the artist. The room itself is painted mostly white, about the size of a traditional boutique, lined not with clothes but with bright canvases depicting anything from soup cans to cows to faces of Marilyn Monroe. Admittedly, it serves less as an educational tool and more as an homage, reminding the masses why he became so quickly adored, highlighting his most famous pieces that come accompanied by postcard-sized description of the work. To be honest, the part that captivated me the most was entirely unexpected. I stood for a good five minutes staring at the wall across from the 3 bookshelves that serve as a gift shop, marvelling at my fortuitous discovery. Staring back at me was a man I idolized, and the reason I became a writer. The highly controversial author/socialite Truman Capote was immortalized by Warhol in 1979, in exchange for Capote writing a weekly column for Warhol’s decade-old magazine, Interview. I happened to be carrying one of Capote’s books in my bag, and pulled it out to pose with the man who inspired me and his work. My fascination and excitement drew the attention of the staff, who seemed to be genuinely interested in what they were being paid to work for (a quality increasingly rare in employees of our time). My best friend and I paid $5 each to view the exhibit (solely because we are students, regular patrons pay $10), and spent about 20 minutes in the room. I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as a day-trip, but more as an interesting add-on to a day spent at the Royal Ontario Museum, the modern, 4 storied architectural masterpiece just up the road. The exhibit runs until the last day of 2015, and the exact address is 77 Bloor Street West. In exchange a half hour of time and the price of a lunch meal, your vision, even just for a while, turns technicolour. Check out some pictures above. I remember sitting in my ninth grade English class, collectively pouring over To Kill A Mockingbird with 20 of my classmates. Atticus Finch, the closest thing even fiction had to perfection, captivated us with his brilliance and ahead-of-the-times thinking, and Boo Radley’s redemption as a character became a literary technique we could all learn from.
Years later, as I was introduced to the literary excellence of Truman Capote and learned of his childhood friendship with Harper Lee (To Kill A Mockingbird’s Dill is based on a childhood Capote) my father and I debated, over several dinners and family functions, how much of the novel’s success can actually be attributed to Lee. “It has the classic Capote arc, and ends in the same way much of Capote’s work does— with redemption of a sympathetic character,” he argues. As a student of Capote’s genius, I vehemently deny his claims. Though she may have been inspired by his words and his writing style, that is a far cry from ripping of his ideas or, as some have suggested, having Capote ghost write the novel and taking the credit. I am also inspired by Capote’s writing — though one can hardly give him credit for my words. Even, in a hypothetical world, if she asked him for advice, or a quick read-over (again, who wouldn’t? You have a successful writer at your disposal), I hesitate to throw faith in any Capote influence in the novel. The time has come again to reopen the debate, as Harper Lee has announced that, more than 50 years after the release of her famous novel, a sequel is in the works. Lee, who is now 88, will release Go Set a Watchman on July 14. The sequel will centre around Scout Finch as an adult. Capote died in 1984, and Harper Lee has been notoriously private from the public image, despite her massive success. Though reports have surfaced saying that Lee forgot this manuscript entirely (she is reportedly ill) and was delighted at the discovery, I will venture, here, to say that I strongly doubt that she has been sitting on this sequel since before 1984, since an age when an already troubled Capote could’ve helped her again. The literary world (which even consists of celebrities who seem to be well-read) has had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the news of a To Kill a Mockingbird sequel. The book has nestled among the iconic American novels for half a century, and the characters remain beloved by the American populace. Though I, too, am excited to read a follow-up novel to a tale I really enjoyed - I am curious to see how much of Capote’s influence will be present in this novel. I feel that Go Set a Watchman could be the one that finally settles the debate in Capote’s involvement in the novel — a controversy that has always been an undertone in the book’s success. Lee, though, will no longer be known as the woman who only wrote one successful novel. And I, for one, will be sure to pick up a copy. |
AuthorBy: Erica Archives
September 2015
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