Before Laurence Leamer became a best-selling author of nonfiction books, he wore many hats in widely divergent locales. Journalist in Iowa and at Newsweek. A coal mine in West Virginia. Peace Corps in Nepal. Covering a civil war in Bangladesh. Researching a novel hanging out with a cocaine trafficker in South America.
Over time, he settled into a career as an author of nonfiction books covering a wide range of subjects: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Kennedys. Palm Beach. The Reagans. Johnny Carson.
His book Capote’s Women was optioned by producer Ryan Murphy, and this year (2024), the TV adaptation, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, dropped on FX, His most recent book, Hitchcock’s Blondes, has also been optioned by Ryan Murphy. His next book, Warhol’s Muses, is due for publication next spring.
In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Tandy Culpepper talks to Leamer about Capote’s Women and the limited series adaptation. They also briefly touch upon Hitchcock’s Blondes.