Similar to viewing scarce footage of John Coltrane or hearing an unknown concert recording by Woody Guthrie, this new collection of Truman Capote’s previously uncollected essays encourages a re-evaluation of his canon. Because each of these essays had been published separately during the author’s life, this compilation doesn’t possess the same scholarly fascination as 2005’s release of Summer Crossing, Capote’s lost first novel. Still, Portraits and Observations should spark renewed and deserved interest in this unique American voice.