You really don't want to learn the specifics about the feet of clay your authors have, but you do kinda need to. Knut Hanson was a quisling supporting Fascist. Doris Lessing was very unkind to people in her circle. Ted Hughes wasn't exactly great but Sylvia Plaths circle of friends did a number on him. Truman Capote was not capable of keeping confidences. Hunter Thompson was an erratic violent drunk.

I guess we can say the tale of Atwood's failure is to some extent handmade.