Just watched the first episode of the new season of Feud, on FX. Subtitled "Capote Vs. The Swans"
About Truman Capote, who used his close relationships with the wives of important New Yorkers and the secrets they divulged to him as a basis for an article published in Esquire. The article was entitled "La Cote Basque, 1965", being a favourite lunch and gossip spot they frequented.
Well acted, well written, and quite entertaining.
From the internet:
In
1965, Truman Capote, the celebrated author of works like
In Cold Blood and
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, found himself deeply entrenched in New York City’s elite social circles. These circles were dominated by a group of impeccably groomed and wealthy women known as the
“Swans”. These ladies were not just beautiful; they were also cunning and intelligent, adept at capturing and maintaining men’s attention.
Capote was considered a trusted confidant by the Swans. They confided in him about their extramarital affairs, drug use, and petty quarrels. However, little did they know that Capote was secretly gathering all this information for his next novel,
Answered Prayers.
In
1975,
Esquire magazine published an
11,000-word essay by Capote titled
“La Côte Basque, 1965”. In this scandalous piece, he laid bare the Swans’ deepest secrets. The revelations included a husband’s affair with the governor’s wife and a fatal accident that Capote reframed as a murder. The Swans recognized themselves as thinly veiled characters in Capote’s work, and the fallout was immense.
Doors that were once open to him slammed shut, and the betrayal shook their world12.
“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” dramatizes this stunning betrayal and its aftermath.
Tom Hollander portrays the eponymous writer, capturing the tension and drama that unfolded when Capote’s inner circle discovered the truth.