'Feud: Capote vs. The Swans': Writer discusses story of beauty, betrayal

PHILADELPHIA -- The hit television series "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" is in full swing on FX and Hulu.

The writer behind the show says capturing a glimpse into the past was like creating a painting with both beauty and betrayal.

"Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" tells the story of acclaimed author Truman Capote, his friendship with, and his betrayal of, an elite group of women.

Capote dished out their dark, dirty secrets in a piece prematurely published in Esquire. These women, his inner circle, were Manhattan socialites he called "swans."

Jon Robin Baitz gets to capture this slice of salacious past as executive producer and writer of the show.

"It's like pastry, there's just like, another layer of pain, and then there's some filling, and then there's another layer of pain, and they just are endlessly fascinating," said Baitz.

"That's what betrayal looks like. It must have been endlessly wounding to be those women exposed that way," he added.

Baitz played historian, of sorts.

"Someone who knew Truman told me that he was the only person he'd ever met. Who deliberately lied simply to hurt people. That's a lot to absorb. I thought about that a lot. While I was writing it," said Baitz.

Episode 4, called: "It's Impossible," airs on FX February 14. It will be available on Hulu the next day.

"This episode is very much about the great pain of loss and how much of life is sort of impossible to navigate in this moment Truman's decline is part of it," according to Baitz.

Disney is the parent company of FX and this station.