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Post by Sue on Feb 29, 2024 11:25:52 GMT -5
The 2004 book Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover reveals that Truman Capote interviewed Betty Gow. Richard Hack, the author of Puppetmaster, was 6 years old when he began writing to Capote. See picture of Hack and short bio: www.amazon.com/stores/author/B003B059AC/aboutwww.amazon.com/Puppetmaster-Secret-Life-Edgar-Hoover/dp/1597775126Conservative commentator William F. Buckley, Jr. writes "Ask Capote" if Hauptmann was guilty of killing the Lindbergh baby. Buckley helped free one Edgar Smith from Death Row. (Smith stayed in the cell that Hauptmann once occupied.) Buckley would come to regret the kindness he showed toward Smith. After release from prison, Smith violently assaulted a woman. Smith wrote a book called Brief Against Death. Buckley asked Capote to read it. Buckley wanted to know if he thought Smith was guilty. "Oh yes," Capote giggled. nypost.com/2022/02/19/how-a-murderer-duped-william-f-buckley-jr-into-fighting-for-release/"Back to Prison: The Protracted Life of Edgar Smith" Right Reason by William F. Buckley, Jr., 1985. Buckley interviewed Capote about capital punishment on Firing Line. See youtube to view the show. I wonder what secrets about the Lindbergh kidnapping Truman Capote took to his grave?
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Post by xjd on Feb 29, 2024 20:29:35 GMT -5
Sue you always find the best stuff! similar, but obviously not as tragic, the Buckley thing reminds me of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fiercely defending those young girls who claimed to have taken actual photos of fairies. they later admitted they faked the pictures. and Capote certainly got very nearly burned with his fascination (infatuation?) with one of the In Cold Blood killers. the flip side of this type of thing is McGuiness's book Fatal Vision about the Jeffrey McDonald case, where McDonald hired him to write a book that portrayed McDonald as innocent but McGuiness became convinced, and wrote about it, he was guilty. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_Vision_controversyi am going to add that Hoover book to my (evergrowing) list! thanks Sue!
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Post by Sue on Mar 2, 2024 12:18:53 GMT -5
Hi xjd,
Thanks!
I'll have to check out the story of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle/fairy pictures!
Capote's life began to go downhill soon after his huge success of In Cold Blood.
Oh, yes, the Jeffrey MacDonald case! Yes, MacDonald was counting on McGinniss to exonerate him! I remember when Fatal Vision was first published. I forget a lot about that case, but can never forget the pictures! Jeffrey and Colette were from Patchogue, Long Island, and Colette and the kids are buried somewhere on Long Island. They have the name Stevenson, NOT MacDonald, on the headstone.
Puppetmaster: The reference to Capote interviewing Gow is in the chapter notes at the end of the book. Also, there are references to author Richard Hack interviewing Capote. The year for the Hack/Capote interview is 1983, but the year of the Capote/Gow interview is not given. The Hoover Institute doesn't seem to have these interviews, if indeed a written transcript was made of them.
Capote died in 1984.
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