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Kim Powers
takes on the legendary figure of Truman Capote in his debut
novel, Capote in Kansas. This fictional work re-imagines
the relationship between Capote and longtime friend Harper
Lee in Capote's last years. Powers put his own spin on some
of the most compelling—and inextricably-linked—literary
mysteries of our time: Why did Capote peak with In Cold
Blood? And why did Harper Lee never write a follow-up
to To Kill a Mockingbird?
According
to Powers, the answer lies in Holcolmb, Kansas: the place
where childhood friends Capote and Lee reunited to research
the murder of the Clutter family—research that would
become what was arguably Capote's biggest success: In Cold
Blood. It was there that four members of the Clutter family
were brutally murdered by two men who had planned on robbing
the house. Capote and Lee arrived on the scene shortly after
the murders and were present when the killers were captured.
Moreover, Capote continued to research and acquaint himself
with the killers, Perry and Dick, and remained in contact
with the two until they were executed by the state of Kansas
for their crimes.
Years
later, Capote lives in Palm Springs with no one but his longtime
housekeeper Myrtle and a gold-digging air conditioner repairman
named Danny for company. But Capote isn't truly alone: He's
also plagued by visions of teenaged—and dead—Nancy
Clutter. Nancy haunts Capote, admonishing him to seek forgiveness
from those he has wronged over the years. Meanwhile, across
the country, Lee is being haunted as well, but it's a different
kind of haunting: After years of silence from her childhood
friend, she's suddenly receiving mysterious late night phone
calls and strange packages: boxes, decoupaged with pictures
of snakes, that contain miniature coffins and photographs
from her past. The reclusive author and her estranged and
effeminate compatriot have to come to terms with their pasts
and the ghosts—both literal and imagined—that haunt
them both.
Powers
inserts this entertaining and imaginative story into the realities
of Capote's and Lee's lives; as Powers writes in the Author's
Note: "A surprising amount of the book is based on real events."
He captures Capote's beloved cattiness and Lee's legendary
loner status, fashioning fully-realized characters that engage
the reader by coming alive on the page. Fans of Capote and
Lee will learn some interesting facts about their lives and
the inspirations behind their greatest works. However, this
is fiction: Though Powers uses the real lives of Capote and
Lee to frame his narrative, the essence of the book is more
ghost story than literal history. The events—including
the hauntings and the slapstick hijinks of Truman and Myrtle—are
occasionally farfetched, but Powers clearly respects his subjects
and never resorts to easy jokes at the expense of characterization.
Every action is embedded and supported by the narrative. Capote
in Kansas allows readers one last adventure with the creator
of Boo Radley and one last waltz around the Black and White
Ball with Truman and his caustic wit.
(January,
2008)
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