a conversation about famous persons
"What's a better title for a peppy jazz tune: Nine Ninety-Nine and Sing-Sing, or Truman Capote's Trick Bag?"
"I understand the reference of the first one, but what's the second one mean?"
"Well, it obviously has the same meter as the first one, but it refers to my experience with reading Breakfast at Tiffany's. You know how every reader has at one point had the experience of knowing that the story is going to end simply because you're on the last few pages. It inevitably colors your reading of the story. So you always wonder if there were some way for an author to go around that."
"Oh, yeah; and I hate it when they put the first 10 pages of the author's next story in as a teaser. It ruins it, because I usually try to slow down and savor the final pages of the story, instead of having it end abruptly."
"Exactly. Well, my edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's gave me something similar to that experience. It didn't say anything on the cover or title page or spine about any novella other than Breakfast at Tiffany's. But it included another story by Truman Capote right after it, thus creating the rather disturbing effect of —"
"Wait. Truman Capote wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
"Yes."
"How is that possible?"
"What?"
"Truman Capote the gangster wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's"
"(Laughing) No. Truman Capote the gangster didn't write Breakfast at Tiffany's. Truman Capote the bestselling author of In Cold Blood and ... Breakfast at Tiffany's wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's.
"Wait. I just can't wrap my mind around this. Wasn't Truman Capote the gangster who got jailed for post-office fraud or something?"
"I assume you're not thinking of Bugsy Malone..."
"...no..."
"...or Squeaky Fromme..."
"(Laughing)...no... Wait: Al Capone?"
"Al Capone was indeed a gangster."
"But Truman Capote wasn't? I just can't get over that."
"He wasn't a gangster at all. He was a bestselling author, and he sometimes did cameos in movies, because he was pretty funny. Mainly (pinched voice) becäuse hë tälked lïke thïs."
"Oh, was he the Alfred Hitchcock one?"
"Which Alfred Hitchcock one?"
".... Alfred Hitchcock."
"I understand the reference of the first one, but what's the second one mean?"
"Well, it obviously has the same meter as the first one, but it refers to my experience with reading Breakfast at Tiffany's. You know how every reader has at one point had the experience of knowing that the story is going to end simply because you're on the last few pages. It inevitably colors your reading of the story. So you always wonder if there were some way for an author to go around that."
"Oh, yeah; and I hate it when they put the first 10 pages of the author's next story in as a teaser. It ruins it, because I usually try to slow down and savor the final pages of the story, instead of having it end abruptly."
"Exactly. Well, my edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's gave me something similar to that experience. It didn't say anything on the cover or title page or spine about any novella other than Breakfast at Tiffany's. But it included another story by Truman Capote right after it, thus creating the rather disturbing effect of —"
"Wait. Truman Capote wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
"Yes."
"How is that possible?"
"What?"
"Truman Capote the gangster wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's"
"(Laughing) No. Truman Capote the gangster didn't write Breakfast at Tiffany's. Truman Capote the bestselling author of In Cold Blood and ... Breakfast at Tiffany's wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's.
"Wait. I just can't wrap my mind around this. Wasn't Truman Capote the gangster who got jailed for post-office fraud or something?"
"I assume you're not thinking of Bugsy Malone..."
"...no..."
"...or Squeaky Fromme..."
"(Laughing)...no... Wait: Al Capone?"
"Al Capone was indeed a gangster."
"But Truman Capote wasn't? I just can't get over that."
"He wasn't a gangster at all. He was a bestselling author, and he sometimes did cameos in movies, because he was pretty funny. Mainly (pinched voice) becäuse hë tälked lïke thïs."
"Oh, was he the Alfred Hitchcock one?"
"Which Alfred Hitchcock one?"
".... Alfred Hitchcock."
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