Biography

Born in New Orleans and spending most of his early childhood with his aunts and distant cousins in Alabama, Truman Capote would always maintain a deep connection with the south, even after becoming the center of attention in Manhattan high society.

Capote was born Truman Streckfus Persons on September 30, 1924 to Lillie Mae Faulk and Arch Persons. Lillie Mae (who would later abandon her southern roots and change her name to Nina) was always looking for a way to climb the social ladder. Her parents died when she was young and she was raised be her cousins in Alabama, a situation she always despised. When she caught a glimpse of an escape out of her life by marrying Arch Persons, she took it. Life with Arch was not much better as the smooth talking man from the south did little to raise the social standing of Lillie Mae.

The fact that Truman Capote was born at all is a bit of a miracle, and he owes this to his stern and dedicated cousin, Jennie Faulk, Jennie had raised Lillie Mae and the two often battled over the life Lillie Maw was living. Lillie Mae's pregnancy was one of those battles and would become the most important for Truman. On finding out that she was pregnant, Lillie Mae returned to her southern home and sought an abortion. Adamantly opposed, Jennie finally won and Lillie Mae accepted her responsibility as a mother.

Lillie Mae's early rejection of Truman was to be a sign of how her relationship with her son would remain throughout his life. Abandoned by his mother with his cousins, Lillie Mae was free to begin separating herself from her husband Arch. Arch was not any more of a father to Truman than Lillie Mae was a mother. After he and Lillie Mae separated and divorced in 1931, Arch agreed to spend the summer's with Truman, but instead traveled the country in search of his next big deal. Lillie Mae, now free to try again to reach social elevation, found what she was looking for in Joseph Capote. She and Capote married and she moved to New York City with Joe to begin her new life, a life that rarely included her son.

Truman may not have found much love from his parents, but he did find it in his cousins who raised him, especially in his elderly cousin Sook he looked after him. Sook would become the subject of several of Truman's stories, including a Christmas Memory.

Truman also had the good fortune of meeting a friend in his southern neighbor, Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird). Truman was the basis for Lee's character, Dill, in her famous book and Truman is rumored to have helped Lee write the novel. The two remained friends throughout and Lee would later accompany Truman in his research about the Kansas murders that would become In Cold Blood.

In 1933, Truman's dream to join his mother in New York finally came true. After winning sole custody of Truman in court, Lillie Mae took her son to live with her and Joe in the social capitol of the world. Joe would soon adopt Truman and in 1935, Truman's name became Truman Garcia Capote. Truman's dream of a fabulous life in New York was quickly shattered as his mother still continued to push her son away and would continually berate him about his increasingly noticeable lack of masculinity.

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