According to George Plimpton's biography "Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintences and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career," one of Capote's eccentricities was to walk into a liquor store and ask for a bottle of "Justerini and Brooks" scotch, which is more familiarly known as J&B, which is one of the most famous brand names in the liquor business. Even if a merchant told him the store did not carry the brand (as most people didn't know what the initials stood for), even when it was likely it did carry the brand, Capote would not call it "J&B", even if it meant that he went without it.
Although he wrote only a handful of books during his lifetime, he produced 25 full-length plays, 2 novels, 60 short stories, more than 100 poems and an autobiography.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 128-130. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
Capote was actually his step-father's last name.
Despite his diminutive size, Capote was said to be an excellent arm wrestler.
Frequently visited legendary New York disco Studio 54 in the late '70s.
He is one of several famous and tragic figures from history to be featured on the front and back sleeves of rock band Marillion's "Clutching at Straws" album (released 1987).
His 7th cousin once removed is playwright Tennessee Williams.
His aunt, who helped raise him as a boy, is Marie Rudisill, aka The Fruitcake Lady from the "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992).
His most famous work is the book, "In Cold Blood."
His mother committed suicide.
Is the inspiration for the character "Dill" in Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird". He and Harper Lee were childhood friends.
Longtime partner was Jack Dunphy.
Mentioned in Walter Kirn's novel "Thumbsucker".
Portrayed by Sam Street in Isn't She Great (2000), Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote (2005), by Toby Jones in Infamous (2006), by Michael J. Burg in The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000) (TV) and by Robert Morse in the award-winning one-man show "Tru" (and the subsequent made-for-TV film, "American Playhouse: Tru (#12.1)" (1992)).
Rests in a mausoleum next to Heather O'Rourke and Mel Tormé.
The film rights to his novella, "Hand Carved Coffins" were held by producer Dino De Laurentiis and the project was offered to directors Michael Cimino and David Lynch but to date, the project has not been produced.
Was called as a defense witness in the second trial of Claus von Bülow, testifying about Sunny's [Martha Sunny von Bulow] history of substance abuse.