The ThriftBooks Blog

By William Shelton • February 01, 2024

When Esquire published the first look at Truman Capote's Answered Prayers, a novel he ultimately never finished, his gaggle of "swans" and the high society to which he belonged ignited with ire, and a fallout notorious enough to be dramatized by FX and Ryan Murphy left him friendless. Here's some of the true story behind Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

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By William Shelton • March 29, 2021

Casting disparaging remarks about contemporaries seems to be a hallmark of great writers. Afterall, Andre Gide could never decide if he worshiped at the shrine of Oscar Wilde, or despised his poisoned pen flamboyance. Particularly among the post World War II American writers that published so prolifically, they measured their own success by the personal failures of their fellow writers. Here we offer a peek at some of the most enduring feuds of writers like Gore Vidal and Anais Nin.

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By William Shelton • December 28, 2020

Born in New Orleans, Truman Capote was frequently deposited at the Monroeville home of his eccentric cousins. The location had only one redeeming quality for him: next door lived a young girl who would initially beat him up, then befriend him—She was Nelle Harper Lee. From then on their worlds and works collided, bringing the world some of its most enduring classics, as well as an enduring literary feud.

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