The Truman Capote Literary Trust is an American charitable trust established in 1994 by

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

's literary executor, Alan U. Schwartz, pursuant to Capote's will.

Origin

Truman Capote died in 1984 and his will established a lifetime annuity for his companion, Jack Dunphy. The will stated that, on Dunphy's death, a literary trust be created that would be sustained by the royalties from Capote's books. According to Truman Capote's will the proceeds of the Trust fund a prize for the best book of literary criticism in honor of Newton Arvin, former professor at Smith College, with any other funds to support scholarships for creative writing. Dunphy died in 1992, and the trust was established in 1994. The trust is located in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Awards

For critics

In cooperation with the Iowa Writers Workshop at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

, the Trust awards the annual Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in Memory of Newton Arvin, commemorating not only Capote but also his friend Newton Arvin, the

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

professor and critic, distinguished professor of American literature, who lost his job after his

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

was exposed. The prize is worth $30,000. The Trust also established a lifetime achievement award, worth $100,000, and administered through the

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

Creative Writing Program. It was awarded to

Alfred Kazin Alfred Kazin (June 5, 1915 – June 5, 1998) was an American writer and literary critic. His literary reviews appeared in ''The New York Times'', the '' New York Herald-Tribune'', ''The New Republic'' and ''The New Yorker''. He wrote often a ...

(1996) and

George Steiner Francis George Steiner, Fellow of the British Academy#Fellowship, FBA (April 23, 1929 – February 3, 2020) was a Franco-American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist and educator. He wrote extensively about the relationship between ...

(1998)."George Steiner wins Truman Capote award"

news release, September 9, 1998.

For students

The Trust awards scholarships and fellowships for creative writing at universities such as

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

, the

Writers' Workshop, the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...

, Xavier of Louisiana, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and Brooklyn College, among others.

References

{{authority control 1994 establishments in the United States Charities based in California Arts organizations established in 1994