Queer Theory

The Gay Writer Who Died in Cold Scotch

                 Probably the most famous American writer who is known to be gay is Truman Capote. His most famous books are “Breakfast at Tiffanys” and “In Cold Blood.” I didn’t read the books but I watched both movies. In cold Blood was so suspenseful--my heart was beating like crazy and I needed to use the bathroom but I waited until the last minute. Mr. Capote won many awards for writing “In Cold Blood”—a murder mystery (I think it was a true story, it certainly seemed as if it were true. Ironically the book almost killed him. While writing the book, Capote like many writers tried to tap into his creative powers. So he typed and tapped and when he got stuck in a writer’s block, he drank his favorite scotch. When he ran out of scotch, he drank whatever was left. Sometimes the alcohol didn’t work, it probably made it worse, but that’s when he mixed in drugs like cocaine. When the hangovers banged his head, Dr. Scotch (that’s what he called his bottles, it didn’t matter if it was scotch or vodka) prescribed him morphine. In the beginning, his boyfriend and lover, Jack Donfey, who was also a writer but not nearly as great bought most of the alcohol and drugs. Truman loved him for bringing him alcohol. Or maybe Truman loved the drugs more. I’ll do anything for another bottle of Scotch, Truman said to Donfey. If you were a dog holding a bottle of Scotch in your mouth, I would kiss you on dog-gone lips. You’re my bitch, he often said to Donfey. It bothered Donfey, but Truman’s wit could not be stopped by manners.

             But when Truman became really addicted, Donfey left Truman alone in their house. Donfey couldn’t stand to see Truman suffer so much. After Truman finished writing “In Cold Blood,” he was a wreck. He checked himself into a rehab. It was not his first and was not his last time. But he was so high from the success of the book, he fell and crashed lower than ever. His baby, his book, brought Truman much fame, but his fame did not satisfy him. Truman wanted a real baby, a son. “Donfey, you’re worse than a bitch. At least a bitch can make a bastard. I’m wasting my seed on you.” That really hurt donfey. But it was a problem that hurt Capote to the core.

                Truman wrote some short novels and short stories after In Cold Blood was published. But it was downhill after that book. He wanted to surpass it with something better. He tried to write without the drugs and alcohol but he couldn’t. So he went back to his “friends” but they didn’t help him anymore. Murderers chased him. The rehab psychiatrist told him he was hallucinating. could such a great writer have reached his greatness without “cheating” with performance drugs?! In 1984 he died from liver disease. Maybe like the athletes he might have raced his bicycle a little slower, but in the long run he could have probably reached greater heights of creativity. He could have gotten high from the achievement of writing award winning books and stories. And perhaps his son would have even surpassed him. That would have made him happy.