Five things you should know about Truman Capote.

He died in 1984, but had he lived the elfin author would be 85 years old today. Any self-respecting gay guy probably already knows the basics: He wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's, he wrote In Cold Blood, he was lifelong friends with Harper Lee. He conducted a lifelong public feud with Gore Vidal, he hosted the infamous Black & White Ball. Oh, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman won an Oscar playing him in the 2004 film, Capote.

After the break, 5 things you might not know about Truman Capote.

1. The author's photo that appeared on the back oh his first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms (1947), arguably got more attention than the book. Many felt it was too suggestive (i.e. gay) and the controversy actually launched Capote as a public figure, rather than simply an author.

Truman Capote portrait by Harold Halma

2. He claimed to have had an affair with Errol Flynn (but then he often claimed to be intimate with people he had never actually met.)

3. He was hired by Rolling Stone magazine in 1972 as a correspondent to cover the The Rolling Stones' U.S, tour. He accompanied the band on the road but had a falling out with Mick Jagger and then refused to finish the article.

4. He died at the LA home of Joanne Carson (Johnny Carson's ex wife and one of Capote's few remaining society friends.) His last words were.... "It's me, it's Buddy [his childhood nickname]," followed by, "I'm cold."

5. Phillip Seymour Hoffman may have won an Oscar for his portrayal in 2005's Capote, but Infamous, which came out less than a year later and starred Toby Jones as Capote, Sandra Biullock as Harper Lee, and Daniel Craig as convicted murderer Perry Smith was a far more entertaining film. Be sure and check it out if you haven't seen it.

Toby Jones and Daniel Craig in Infamous

Anything else fellow readers should know about Truman Capote's life and career? Please share in the comments.