The Federal style columned veranda that Truman Capote used to sit upon while penning prose now officially belongs to Dan Houser, the co-founder of Rockstar Games (what would Peter Vallone, Jr. say?). The Brooklyn Heights home was on the market until recently, when Houser scooped it up for $12.5 million—the most expensive real estate deal in Brooklyn history, according to the Observer, who likens Houser to Herman Melville and Grand Theft Auto to Moby Dick. more ›

Former Brooklyn Heights resident Truman Capote once famously said, "I live in Brooklyn. By Choice." The quote is now being used on 78 directional signs in the borough to help tourists navigate Downtown Brooklyn, and some residents are taking it as a slap in the face! According to the NY Post, at least. more ›

The 11-bedroom/18-room Brooklyn Heights mansion that Truman Capote called home for ten years (writing Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood there) is now on the market for a record $18 million. The house has only changed hands a few times, and in the 1950s was owned by Broadway art director Oliver Smith. According to the Daily News, "Capote said he got Smith blitzed on martinis to persuade his friend to rent him the house's garden apartment from 1955 to 1965." Once he got his foot in the door, he allegedly bragged about owning the place while throwing parties when Smith was out of town. The current listing includes this quote from Capote: "I live in Brooklyn. By choice." Though not included by Sotheby's, it went on to say, "Those ignorant of its allures are entitled to wonder why." more ›

Musical theater star and lounge singer extraordinaire Robert Goulet died yesterday of pulmonary fibrosis while awaiting a lung transplant in an L.A. hospital; he was 73. more ›

TIP: Starting today and running through the 16th you can see some of Off-Broadway's best for only $20! Go here for more details about the 20at20 deal. more ›

In May word was spreading that the famed Gotham Book Mart would be shutting its doors as the owner, Andreas Brown, was forced to pay overdue rent. At that time, the entire contents of the shop ("from rare first-edition John Updike novels to the worn-out oriental rug on the third floor") were sold for $400K at a court-mandated auction. The Post called it an "undignified last chapter for the institution - beloved by the likes of Edward Gorey, J.D. Salinger and Jackie Kennedy Onassis." more ›

This week, Sarah Michelle Gellar is back for more creepy girls hiding in her hair in the new sequel, out this weekend in the hopes that it will bolster rumors of a Stewart/Colbert ticket in '08. more ›

During this Sunday's 60 Minutes, Philip Seymour Hoffman will reveal that he really loved doing drugs when he was younger. Here's what the 60 Minutes website says:

For the first time publicly, the actor, hailed for his performance as author Truman Capote, talks about his decision to get help for substance abuse... more ›

Now that we're into November, awards season kicks off in earnest with big new releases such as more ›

Unlike last week, New Yorkers are treated to just nine new releases including three big titles ( -- about the late Arthur Kane, a member of the seminal NYC glam-meets-punk rock group New York Dolls. Elsewhere … more ›

which is worth seeing solely for Philip Seymour Hoffman's brilliant channeling of Truman Capote. more ›

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has put up the lineup for the New York Film Festival 2005 and it looks, as usual, to be a fun time. Opening the festival is George Clooney's second try at directing "Good Night, and Good Luck" about news reporting in the 50s and the McCarthy hearings ("Have you no sense of decency sir?"). The centerpiece movie is Neil "The Crying Game" Jordan's "Breakfast on Pluto" starring Cillian Murphy as a young man in 70s Ireland who was abandoned as a child (is it just us or is this Murphy guy suddenly everywhere?). Closing is "Caché (Hidden)" directed by Michael Haneke (who won best-director for Caché at Cannes this year). more ›

, it's a more disquieting and complex movie than you'd imagine from all of the cutesy Audrey Hepburn postcards. more ›

Anyway, number five on the list is Deep Blue Something's Breakfast at Tiffany's (yes, we do think Truman Capote was rolling around in his grave), and Breakfast at Tiffany's is also the NY Times' Great Summer Read (you can read the first chapter here) this week. Tonight, Candace Bushnell will read from the book at the Time-Warner Center Borders bookstore. more ›

Josh Aiello, Author more ›