Capote & Marilyn Monroe: The Black and White Ball

THE BLACK AND WHITE BALL 

—Christopher Bram, Eminent

Outlaws: The Gay Writers

Who Changed America

The Black and White Ball—
of course, it wasn’t real

How could it exist anymore—
than IN COLD BLOOD?
_____________

Chic critics mocked the idea—
scoffed and pooh-poohed it

How could a novelist possibly—
leave himself out of his novel?
________________

Are we so bankrupt, they said—
so avid for decadent escape?

That we stoop to enjoy a—
NATIONAL ENQUIRER exposé?
______________

So VOGUE jaded that we must—
Ogle at HOLLYWOOD CONFIDENTIAL?

Surely IN COLD BLOOD is just —
a mere piece of schlocky gossip?
_____________

A morbid dizzy kitschy piece of—
insipidly snarky yellow journalism?

Shame on Miss Capote for her— 
wicked satire of Holcomb, Kansas
__________

Doing her stylish sophisticated—
NEW YORKER take on such a tragedy

Glorifying those two ex-con killers—
as if murder be so tres cosmopolitan
______________

Just as boring and ordinary as—
some Big Apple ho-hum homicide? 

Worming his way nefariously into—
the confidences of Perry & Hickcock
______________

Cold blooded as the two ex-cons—
so devoted to his murder melodrama

Living out there on the High Plains—
in a lonely Garden City dingy motel
____________

Harper Lee as his Fag Hag diplomat—
ingratiating himself to get the Story

Bribing his way into Lansing Prison—
schmoozing out all the juicy details?
______________

Patiently waiting for the inevitable—
Noose Party at the jerky climax?

No wonder Capote became alcoholic—
all to get on the NYTimes bestseller list
______________

Intensely knotted up in fear—
full of self-pity and survivor’s guilt?

Hardly, my dears, get real—
she couldn’t wait for them to die
________________

So she could finally become—
The Great American Proust!!!

Throwing her splendidly sordid—
Black and White Ball to celebrate!!!