[Rarebooks] FS: Scarce early Truman Capote item, featured in this month's Fine Books & Collections magazine

[Charles Agvent]

As featured in this month's Fine Books & Collections magazine:

  [CAPOTE,  Truman].  MANUSCRIPT  RECIPE BOOK  BELONGING  TO  NANNIE
RUMBLY FAULK (SOOK).        Recipe book belonging to Sook:  caretaker,
cousin, and close companion of Truman Capote during his childhood.   A
consultation  of  any  of the biographies of Capote  will  reveal  the
immense  importance  this  frail,  old woman had  on  the  shaping  of
Capote's character.  Dying shortly before the publication of his first
book,  Sook  missed the opportunity to see her influence  on  Capote's
creative  life;  however, Capote modeled Dolly Talbo, heroine  of  THE
GRASS  HARP,  after  Sook and placed her at the center of two  of  his
most  popular  and  affecting works: THE  THANKSGIVING  VISITOR  and A
CHRISTMAS MEMORY.  This book, purchased by Sook in 1904 (with her full
signature  &  date)  and added to through at least the  1920s  (Capote
arrived  at the Monroeville, Alabama, Faulk home in 1924 as an  infant
and  stayed  until  1931 with frequent visits  afterward)  totals  155
pages  completely  in  her hand in a homemade mulberry ink,  with  one
page in another hand.  Not only does it contain recipes for  preparing
&  serving  foods,  beverages, & desserts served to  a  young  Capote,
including  Aunt  Fronie's  Christmas Cake and Fairy  Tale  Tea  Cakes,
Sook's  account  contains  much  information on  the  Faulk  household
revealing  the  childlike  personality  of its  author  including  her
dislike  of  blacks.  In an entry headed "1923 Alabama  Avenue,"  Sook
even  gives  an account of some of the preparation for the wedding  of
Lillie  Mae  Faulk & Arch Persons, Truman Capote's parents.  The  book
opens  with  Sook's Daily Prayer Recipe and closes with an account  of
arrowroot  used  to  heal wounds from poisoned arrows.  A  unique  and
wonderful artifact!                                           $9500.00

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CHARLES AGVENT
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Mertztown, PA  19539-8750
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