If you haven't noticed, we're living in snarky, pessimistic, and sarcastic times where even shooting victims are open to criticism. I think it's getting to the point that the negativity is taking its toll on us and for the first time in a while hope and gentleness are beginning to come back in vogue. At this time of year especially, a little sentimental coziness is needed like a welcome emotional blanket. Surprising, then, that the perfect dose of such warmth should come from the complex socialite Truman Capote, a man who became immersed in the world of gossip and fame and who would most likely fit right in with the Gawker staff.
A Christmas Memory is a compilation of three fairly early short stories from Capote about his Alabama childhood and particularly his elderly aunt Sook, his childlike best friend who bakes fruitcakes from ingredients bought with the pennies she's saved all year, makes hand made kites as gifts but yearns to give a bicycle she can never afford, hikes through the woods to get the very best Christmas tree, and other sweet old lady things that make you catch your breath in an inexplicable feeling of sadness and happiness.
Even the most hardened New Yorker could get caught unawares with such a feeling and the lump in the throat and tear welling in the eye that follows. So be careful reading this in the subways if you don't want to be that weird person silently crying on the train.
Of course, being Capote, this is not total Hallmark card. With every bit of schmaltz there is an subtle hint of death, loss, and loneliness.
But what do you think?