Truman Capote was one of the most prominent journalists and writers of the 20th century. His works and books, such as the acclaimed In Cold Blood, have gone down in the history of literature. That’s why It is not strange that there are many phrases by Truman Capote that are still remembered today whether for its sobering nature or its wit.
1. I am an alcoholic, drug addict and homosexual. I am a genius.
Phrase that, in the historical context in which it was said, was very provocative.
2. I don’t like leaving a book unfinished, but I begged God to forgive me with the readings I did of Joyce. My prayers had never been so long, but his writings were unspeakable.
An opinion on James Joyce’s work of literature, not devoid of humor.
3. I am an American and an American never wants to be anything else.
Something that could be considered ridicule or a patriotic proclamation, paradoxically.
4. A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That is why there are so few good conversations, because two good conversationalists rarely meet.
About the logic of genius: work best alone.
5. I am a man of obsessions more than passions.
One of Truman Capote’s phrases that describe his personality.
6. Every good writer starts with a viper’s nest of negative reviews, as happened to me.
Appreciation about his beginnings as a writer.
7. Life is a good play with a poorly written third act.
Aphorism about the evolution that life makes us go through according to this writer.
8. Words have always saved me from sadness.
The therapeutic role of language.
9. Everything literature does is gossip.
Controversial opinion on the nature of literature.
10. Every failure is what gives flavor to success.
We must have a global vision of failure, one that includes the times when things go well for us.
11. When God gives you a gift, he also gives you a whip. And that whip is for self-flagellation.
A special ability encourages us to apply discipline to it.
12. It is better to look towards the sky than to live in it.
A play on words about the realist mindset.
13. Just because something is true does not mean it is convenient, neither in life nor in art.
An important distinction.
14. Friendship is a full-time occupation if that someone is really your friend. Therefore, you cannot have many friends, there would not be time for everyone.
A simple observation but with important connotations.
15. My strongest ambitions still revolve around stories, with them I began the art of writing.
The simplest stories They may be the ones that touch our hearts the most
16. If you spend a lot of time eating apples you end up hating apples. That happens to me with my imagination for my books: I use it so much that I am left empty, so I have to wait a few years until I gain imagination again to write again and exhaust it again.
An apt comparison.
17. Before you shake your head, make sure you have it.
Another of Truman Capote’s aphorisms, in this case about the ability to reason.
18. I feel like I have never experienced a single moment of tranquility in my life, unless you count the occasional lumbago.
A busy life full of intense experiences.
19. Because I read, I even read clothing labels.
This is how he described one of the habits that best defined him.
20. I will only say that the only thing a writer must work with is the documentation that he has collected as a result of his own effort and observation, and he cannot be denied the right to use it. It can be condemned, but not denied.
21. More tears are shed for answered prayers than for unanswered ones.
What we desire may be a trap.
22. The good people of Kansas want to kill me and there will be some executioner who would be happy to do the job. Killing is very easy.
Commentary on the most dedicated detractors of the cause of hate.
23. Discipline is the most important part of success.
A key to making projects prosper.
24. Love is a chain of love, because nature is a chain of life.
Comparison between two concepts that are considered a fundamental part of life experience
25. Good taste is the death of art.
Good taste is based on conventions, what is already given in advance.
26. All people have the willingness to work creatively. What happens is that most never notice it.
Creativity is a default state that everyday contingencies keep repressed.
27. What saddens me most is the unnecessary loneliness of my childhood.
A look back at the years when he was a child.
28. I enjoy talking on television about the things I don’t like to write about.
A different medium requires a different registration.
29. Of course, imagination can always open any door, turn the key and give way to terror.
The uncontrollable component of imagination is what makes it unique.
30. For me, the greatest pleasure in writing is not the subject matter, but the music that the words make.
The forms may be more important than the content.
31. When murder is at stake, there can be little consideration for personal pain. Not even with intimacy. Not even with personal feelings. You have to ask questions. And some hurt deeply.
The value of lives makes sensitivity take a backseat, on certain occasions.
32. The state of mind of the man who signs life insurance is similar to that of the man who signs his will: he necessarily thinks about death.
Another of Truman Capote’s phrases based on everyday life.
33. Some cities, like wrapped packages under Christmas trees, contain unexpected gifts, secret delights.
About the secrets that some places hold.
34. Because while you are in this life, you always have something waiting for you and even if you know it and you also know that it is something bad, what are you going to do to it? You can’t stop living.
Life drives us to continue.
35. At school we only learn to recognize words and write them; But the application of those words to real life is something that only life and experience can teach us.
The difference between knowing and knowing how to do
36. We met one day by the river, and that’s it. We are both independent. We had never promised each other anything.
Some unions are the result of context more than anything else.
37. His enemy was anyone who was what he wanted to be or who had something he wanted to do.
Envy is very powerful.
38. The military does not lose sleep. They murder and on top of that they give them medals.
A criticism of the military institution.
39. Christmas. Jesus! I simply can’t stand it. This year don’t expect a card from me. I’m not going to send any.
Another of the writer’s personal opinions, in this case regarding Christmas.
40. It is easy to ignore the rain if you have a raincoat.
Material conditions greatly affect our attitudes.
41. And thank you. For saving my life. You’re wonderful. Only. I love you.
In a few words you can say a lot.
42. Writing stopped being fun when I discovered the difference between good and bad writing.
The categorical distinction can break the enjoyment of certain things.
43. Nothing is as common as believing that others are partly to blame for our failures.
We very easily project our faults onto others.
44. What is life? It is the glow of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in winter. It is the brief shadow that crosses the grass and is lost in the sunset.
Various metaphors to describe the inexplicable.
45. Wrinkles and bones, gray hair and diamonds: I can’t wait for that moment to come.
The beautiful part of old age.
46. ​​Few people are capable of demonstrating a common ethical principle when their deliberation is poisoned by emotions.
The emotional clouds our ability to make decisions based on ethics.
47. One day, I began to write, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble, but implacable master.
Writing can be addictive.
48. The rigorously superstitious individual is also almost always a blind believer in destiny.
Superstitions make us believe that we are subject to forces incapable of being understood who, consequently, control us.
49. You can’t fuck a guy and cash his checks without at least trying to convince yourself that you love him.
An appreciation of cognitive dissonance.
50. I will never get used to anything. Getting used to it is like being dead.
Experiencing everything as if it were new makes it more interesting.
51. There is no shame in having a dirty face, the shame is in never washing it.
Distinction between life circumstances and not trying to fight the bad.
52. You wouldn’t dare kill fleas on a dog. She would just run him over.
Another of Truman Capote’s funny phrases when describing someone.
53. You should not give your heart to wild beings: the more you give it to them, the stronger they become.
Life advice on personal relationships.
54. He laughed and told me that he didn’t believe in heaven or hell, only dust upon dust.
A line that with just a metaphor manages to portray the character.
55. The rich are never hanged. Only the poor and friendless.
There is classism even in death.
56. Because remember this: if a bird carried the sand, grain by grain, from one side of the ocean to the other, when it had transported it all, that would only be the beginning of eternity.
Powerful image to get an idea of ​​the time scale.
57. I loved her enough to forget about myself, my self-pitying despair, and content myself with the thought that something was going to happen that would make her happy.
Love can lead to obsession
58. When someone gives you their trust, you always remain indebted to them.
The emotional mark left by these experiences lasts a long time.
59. Things don’t always go the way you want, sometimes they go the other way around.
The results may be contrary to our interests.
60. It is not a question of fidelity to one’s own concepts, it is a question of commitment to being able to remain an individual without the constant threat of conventional pressures.
