Week 3: Truman Capote

[chicken]

Our own T.C. has graciously agreed to be our next <strike>victim</strike> Member Of The Week.

My pm box is has a bit of room in it currently, thus you may feel free to pm your questions for T.C. to me; otherwise my email (shaman_iv@yahoo.comm) will work as well.

I plan to send him all the questions this coming Saturday!

[rubygirl]

S o, let's get them questions rolling!

[Pashernate_Lover]

Yay! I want to learn more about Truman than I did from his awesome letters this summer

[chicken]

some very spiffy questions are coming in. TC, get ready: you are going to have fun with this!!

if you haven't sent your questions, please do so by saturday evening (my time). ThAnkS!!

[Pashernate_Lover]

*drumroll*

[chicken]

questions have been sent to our very own TC. he's out of town this weekend, so we will probably see answers on Monday sometime.

(i think he was summoned to the U.N. again--something about a person with common sense being needed there...)

thanks to all who sent questions!

[Grim O'Grady]

questions have been sent to our very own TC. he's out of town this weekend, so we will probably see answers on Monday sometime.

(i think he was summoned to the U.N. again--something about a person with common sense being needed there...)

thanks to all who sent questions!

hee-hee if only eh?

love

Grim

[chicken]

As promised, here's what TC has to say. Enjoy!!

1. You're in a band right? And have been in others before? Tell us a bit about the whole thing please?
Yes, I'm in a band called The Amigos de Alien. I would say that yes, I have been in other bands before, played with other people, but I have always carried the name of The Amigos de Alien with me, so all the bands I've been in were called The Amigos de Alien. I write all the songs, lyrics and music. We are now trying to record an album or something like that. I am also thinking about doing some solo stuff, something pretty simple, a singer/songwriter kind of thing, just me with my acoustic guitar.

2. What's the best party you've ever been to?
I have been to lots of crazy parties in my life. I used to throw this 'open house' kind of parties in Salinas (a very quite and boring town here in Uruguay) and that was wild. The best one was a Christmas party: candles, multi-colored lights, costumes, music, drugs, strange people, beautiful people, scared people, wine, beer, vodka, whiskey, sex, drugs (yes, twice)... I also remember a 45 year old woman dancing semi naked, we wrote our names all over her body with a permanent pen.

3. How did you first discover Truman Capote?
I was at a bookstore looking for something to read and I saw his first novel called 'Other Voices, Other Rooms', I didn't knew anything about the author but I liked the plot so I bought it. I was in page forty when I said to myself: 'God, this is beautifully written, I need to know something about this guy right now' and when I finally discovered the man (bought a book called 'Conversations With Truman Capote' by George Plimpton) I felt in love with his personallity, obsesed about his life and work.

4. Recommendations for a Capote newcomer please?
'Breakfast at Tiffany's' are 'The Grass Harp' they are two beautiful novels, both are perfect to start reading Capote. But you have another side of T: the journalist. 'In Cold Blood' is an excellent book, but my favorites are 'The Muses are Heard' (a wonderful story about following the Porgy & Bess troupe to Russia) and 'Music For Chameleons' (collection of short stories).

5. What are the three most important things in your life right now?
My friends and family, my studies (I am not a hard working student at all but I am sure about its importance) and music.

6. At what age did you lose your virginity?
At 16.

7. Malvinas or Falklands? Do they mean/represent anything to you?
Falklands! We all know that Argentina launched the invasion to buoy its deteriorating domestic political situation (militar dictatorship). Anyway, I am thinking about going there, seems to be an interesting place to visit.

8. What's your greatest achievement so far?
I formed a rock band and didn't give up despite some people telling me that it's not worth it.

9. T.C. I am currently reading the biography of your name sake, I put this down to you, I doubt I would have searched out for Mr Copote otherwise. So have you ever been influenced by anyone in a similar way? If yes care to divulge?
I have been influenced by a lot of people but not in the same way.

10. We know that Truman Capote is your idol, was there a particular book that made you fall in love with his work?
Yes, 'Music For Chameleons'. Includes a nonfiction short novel called 'Handcarved Coffins: A Nonfiction Account of an American Crime' and short stories where Capote sets himself center stage and reconstructs commonplace conversations with everyday people like an aristocratic lady who demonstrates to Truman that chameleons are attracted to music or a sweet old lady who offers him the shelter of her home on a cold night but turns out to have a freezer in her kitchen in which she has preserved the bodies of all the pet cats who have ever died in her possession. My favourite is 'A Day's Work', in which Capote accompanies his cleaning lady on a day of her rounds.

11. What is your opinion on modern literature?
I think I do not have any books written by living writers... Oh, wait, Norman Mailer is alive! The modern age is over, and it seems like it's impossible to write good books in this cofusing post-modern age. The last best movies I've seen were all related to those years and I, personally, would love to get back to the old times. Do we have anything important to say nowadays?

12. What is your favorite curse word?
Assface or dickface.

13. Who's your favourite strangeways member?
I won't tell you that. I love you all, but I have my favourites...

14. What's your greatest accomplishment?
Aren't the words 'achievement' and 'accomplishment' synonymous? If they aren't, sorry, I am from Uruguay.

15. Who's the most important person in your life?
Me!

16. What's the best part of living in South America?
Well, I have always lived in Uruguay, and Uruguay doesn't really represents the whole south american continent (no bananas, no salsa dancing, no hot weather) so I will tell you what's the best part of living in Uruguay. The best part of living in Uruguay is that it is a very calm country, I have always felt safe in Uruguay. I live in the capital, Montevideo, and it's great because it's so small that everything seems to be really close.
Ethnically, the city is approximately half people of Italian descent, and a large percentage of the remainder is of European origin,totaling some 88% of the demographic. Montevideo's population makes up roughly 44% of the entire country of Uruguay. Uruguay's indigenous population was wiped out during the colonization period and there are virtually no descendants remaining, they killed them all... pretty sad. There is a small (4%) African population.
I think that's all, hehe, Uruguay is not a very 'cool' place. I would love to say that we have monkeys walking down the streets like in Ecuador but no, no monkeys at all... Well I don't think I would like to have monkeys in the streets.

17. What is a 'typical' day like for you?
A typical day, let's see. I get up around 9 am and have my quiet time. I usually drink tea, but if I am too sleepy I drink a cup of coffee. Shower and all that good stuff. Then at 11 am I go to the uni and at 5 pm a friend of mine drive me back home and I am free again (if I do not have to study for something important) to do whatever I want to do: internet, reading, watching TV, etc. At 9 pm I usually go to the studio where we are recording an album and that's it. At 11:30 pm I check e-mails, chat with some friends, download some music and all that stuff. The night is my favourite time of the day, nobody's around, I am alone with my music, some vodka, maybe a movie or a book. Finally, I go to bed around 3:30 am.

18. What makes you sad?
Well, I used to have a best friend who committed suicide 6 years ago, he was older than me, I was 16 years old, he was 20. I still see his face when I walk through the city and usually dream about him. I really miss him, he influenced me a lot so I can't get him out of my mind. That makes me sad, that he's dead and I will never see him again.

19. What makes you happy?
The very simple things of life: when my team, Peñarol, scores a goal; sex, I love sex; when I get drunk and have fun; when my hair looks good; a good gig, etc. But I absolutely LOVE to buy things: CDs, books, clothes or shoes, they all make me feel so happy, I am such an impulsive consumer and I can't help it.

20. What are your religious beliefs?
I do not have any religious beliefs, I just do not think about it, although I'm from christian family. Once upon a time, when I was a little boy, I was baptised catholic. But none of my closest family is very religious, except my grandmother! But they all still believe in God and do some (very little, but still some) of that religious stuff. It's imposible to actually KNOW whether there is a god or not. Maybe god was made up to give people hope, change people into living a better life, abiding by the laws, being moral, etc.

21. If you were to get an advanced degree at a university, what would it be & why?
Master of Arts in Modern Literature and Culture. I like to read and write. I always get interested in the cultural context of arts like music or literature. I love artist biographies. I was reading some letters of Franz Kafka the other day, I really find his letters more interesting than his literary work.

22. What special powers would TC the Superhero have?
Super TC would be able to fly, to see through everybody's clothes and to disappear.

23. What do you find attractive in others?
I like sweet and soft people. Some clothing items like hats and big bead necklaces are always welcome. I love lips, the mouth is my favorite part of a woman. Strange accents drive me crazy! I also like big eyes.

24. What do you find un-attractive in others?
I just hate agressive people and I don't like that kind of Valerie Solanas ultra feminists. I prefer John Stuart Mill followers.

25. If you were to move to another nation, where would you go?
I don't know, I know about places I would like to visit like New York, USA southern territory, London, Manchester... I would say United States or England because I feel quite attracted by their cultures but I am not pretty sure about that because I have never been to any of those places. Well, I've been to Los Angeles, California but I was just 5 years old so it doesn't really counts. I think that one of the keys to a successful life is to actually be successful and happy in your own country, where you belong.

26. What needs to be done to heal the world?
This world is almost dead, and we are killing it because we are all demented. Healing the world has to start with self-healing.


TC has nominated pashy as our next Member Of The Week!!
Let's hope she accepts!!

[elko]

Great! These interviews are getting to be classics! Question two is my favourite...

[Chicken, just edited the topic title, hope you don't mind, but it's so things will be aligned numerically/alphabetically...when I sort the forum in that order.]

[chicken]

Great! These interviews are getting to be classics! Question two is my favourite...

[Chicken, just edited the topic title, hope you don't mind, but it's so things will be aligned numerically/alphabetically...when I sort the forum in that order.]

question two reminded me sincerely, almost viscerally of my fraternity days :blink:


ellis: i would not have noticed. and even if i had, i defer to the founder of this village.

[re: modern fiction. i know of a work in progress that will likely be published, it is somewhat "capot-ish." it's from a friend with four books out now, i'll be sure to keep you all informed. it's a great read.]

[Pashernate_Lover]

TC has nominated pashy as our next Member Of The Week!!
Let's hope she accepts!!

Boy does she ever!!

[Cracked Pleasures]

19. What makes you happy?
The very simple things of life: when my team, Peñarol, scores a goal;

sex, I love sex;

Soccer, and women. The true joys of this earthly life.

You have a good taste man!

[Grim O'Grady]

excellent as ever, great Q's & even better Answers!
here's the one that made me giggle & I could see you answering it TC
22. What special powers would TC the Superhero have?
Super TC would be able to fly, to see through everybody's clothes and to disappear.

love

Grim

[Truman Capote]

I am glad to know that you enjoyed my little answers, it was fun, I liked to be the Member of the Week.
Now, send your questions for pashy!

[The Boy with a thorn in his side]

Are we sending them to you by PM or email?

The party question was one of mine, but even I didn't expect such an incredible answer, good form

I applaud CP for this idea, and all members of the week for their interviews an' that