Why did Truman Capote write "A Christmas Memory"?

Truman Capote is known for powerful works of fiction and non-fiction, including his most famous investigative work In Cold Blood, which became a best seller. Capote's talent for observing sensory details and capturing characters makes his writing very compelling.
That talent is obvious in this short memoir, first published in a collection with the novel Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote's second most famous work. In this story, Capote recounts memories of celebrating Christmas as a young boy with his elderly cousin. Like In Cold Blood, certain details in "A Christmas Memory" are embellished, and that is perhaps what makes the story even more interesting. It has been called "semi-autobiographical" and functions as a window into this interesting writer's background.
Because Capote was fairly openly gay during a time when homosexuality was often kept secret, his sensitive recounting of the events of his childhood helps us understand the writer's deep need to tell his own story. Despite growing up in poverty, Capote went on to know wealth and fame. This story conveys his humble beginnings and the loyalty he feels to his elderly cousin, who understood him better than his closer family members. The story may in part be a memory of this relationship, but also of a way of life that Capote left behind when he became a famous writer who lived a life of luxury and sophistication.