Truman Streckfus Persons (September 30, 1924 - August 25, 1984), known as Truman Capote, was an American author, screenwriter, playwright, actor, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics. At least 20 films and television dramas have been produced of Capote novels, stories, and plays. He discovered his calling as a writer by the age of 11, and for the rest of his childhood he honed his writing ability. Capote began his professional career writing short stories. The critical success of one story, "Miriam" (1945), attracted the attention of Random House publisher Bennett Cerf, and resulted in a contract to write the novel Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948). He earned the most fame with In Cold Blood, a journalistic work about the murder of a Kansas farm family in their home. A milestone in popular culture, In Cold Blood was the peak of Capote's literary career; it was to be his final fully published book. In the 1970s, he maintained his celebrity status by appearing on television talk shows. He died in 1984, at the age of 59, from liver cancer. Photographed by Carl Van Vechten March 30, 1948.