In the “Opinion” section of the December, 1978 edition of High Times, famed writer Truman Capote (1924 – 1984) chats with art-world legend Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) about what they want for Christmas.
Merry Christmas…
AW: So do you know what you want for Xmas?
TC: Well, first of all, I don’t want anything for myself at Xmas, I think that’s very selfish and what not. I know what I want for other people.
- For Jackie Kennedy I want a sex-change operation. The reason is that since the American people must have a Kennedy, I’d rather have a Jackie than a Teddy.
- I want for Timothy Leary justice at last, a ten-year full professorship at Harvard.
- For Richard Avedon, I hope his portrait of Kate Graham finally makes the cover of Newsweek. You know, they took a picture of him for the cover of Newsweek and then discarded it because I don’t know…the Pope died or something.
- For Gore Vidal, because of his great politics, I wish him an ambassadorship to Paraguay…and hope he stays there forever.
- For Larry Flynt, the newborn Christian, I want him to be made first ambassador to the Vatican.
- For Norman Mailer, I want a five-million-dollar contract to rewrite the old Tenth Amendment.
- For Mick Jagger, in his old age, the directorship of the Metropolitan Opera.
- For Andy Warhol, at all times, the directorship of the Metropolitan Museum and all its branches.
- For Anita Bryant, I want her to be appointed editor of the Advocate.
- For Steve Rubell [owner of Studio 54], I want him to be appointed ambassador to the court of St. James.
- For Muhammad Ali, I want him to be our first black president.
- For Ralph Nader, a wife at last, none other than little Anne Ford.
Joy to the World…
AW: Is high society really high?
TC: I wouldn’t know, I never met anyone from high society. I think high society is a complete myth, made up from the movies. When Joan Crawford died, so did high society.
Amen…
AW. Do you think everything in the world should be legal?
TC: Yes, I do, except murder.
