Description:

Capote Truman 1924 - 1984 Truman Capote ALS to Playboy editor Ray Russell one year after publishing "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and other short stories.

1pp Tiffany & Co. watermarked dove gray stationery custom made for author Truman Capote, with matching envelope. "Truman Capote" letterhead consists of author's name printed in yellow block lettering along vertical axis in upper left page corner; envelope with return address "70 Willow Street, Brooklyn, New York" appears in same font, color, and size. Inscribed overall in Capote's controlled and compact handwriting in dark blue ball point pen and signed "Truman Capote" at center right. In near fine condition with expected folds, letter measures 6.875" x 10". Envelope front has moderate burn while back shows light handling marks. Envelope postmarked December 8, 1959 from Brooklyn, NY bearing cancelled 4 cent purple Lincoln stamp.

In this ALS dated December 5, 1959, Truman Capote wrote Ray Russell, Executive Editor of Playboy magazine: "Dear Mr. Russell, Thank you for your very kind letter, and the invitation to contribute to your magazine. I shall certainly keep the matter in mind. With all good wishes, Most sincerely Truman Capote".



Truman Capote (1924-1984) wrote this letter just one year after the publication of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and three other short stories: "A Christmas Memory", "House of Flowers", and "A Diamond Guitar". At this junction of Capote's literary career, he had already published a controversial novel and short stories which appeared in periodicals like The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, Mademoiselle, and others. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was originally slated to appear in a summer 1958 issue of Harper's Bazaar, but Capote resold it to Esquire after the former magazine objected to the story's language and its accompanying photographic content. Capote thus had a long track record of publishing his literary works in magazine format, and the six-year-old Playboy would be no exception.

Capote divided his literary career into two distinct periods, before and after the publication of "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Our letter dates from the latter period, in which Capote perfected a more concise writing style. In 1966, Capote released his chilling dramatic interpretation of the murder of a Kansas family In Cold Blood. Two years later, a literary interview with Capote was published in Playboy.

Like Capote, Ray Russell (1924-1999) was a writer of the Southern Gothic tradition and horror sub-genre. Russell's most famous short story "Sardonicus", was published in Playboy in 1961, where he also served as executive editor. Playboy Magazine, co-founded by Hugh Heffner (born 1926) in 1953, was a lifestyle magazine geared towards the modern American man. Besides offering erotic literature and nude photographs to its consumers, Playboy also featured short stories, cartoons, and interviews with some of the most notable literary and entertainment figures of its day.

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