In Cold Blood A study of the author, the story, and the legacy of America’s first true crime novel.

Capote’s Life Brief Biography: Quirks and Character Traits: Truman Persons, born September 30, 1924, in New Orleans. Grew up in small rural town of Monroeville, Alabama. Took on stepfather’s name, Joe Capote. Began writing at age 8. Closest childhood friend was Nelle Harper Lee, who later wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, in which the character of “Dell” is based on Truman. Dysfunctional Family: Father, small-time con man; Step-father, imprisoned for embezzlement; Mother, committed suicide. Knew early on that he was gay and never tried to hide it. Died August 27, 1984, in Los Angeles Quirks and Character Traits: Only 5’3” and known for his high-pitched, squeaky voice Paranoid of #13. Would change hotel rooms if it ended in #13. Frequent sleepwalker Wouldn’t begin or end a piece of writing on a Friday.  Smoker, but never left more than three cigarette butts in his ashtray; he would tuck the extra ones into his coat pocket. Extraordinarily vain; he collected portraits of himself Truman dedicated In Cold Blood to Harper Lee and Jack Dunphy (his long-time lover). To Kill a Mockingbird is her only book, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize and international acclaim. Following the fame of her first novel, she moved back to Monroeville, Alabama, and has avoided publicity ever since. Died of liver disease complicated by phlebitis (inflammation of a vein) and multiple drug intoxication.

Capote’s Career Quit school at 17 and moved to New York City. “I was determined never to set a studious foot inside a college classroom. I felt that either one was or wasn’t a writer, and no combination of professors could influence the outcome.” Worked for a while as a copyeditor at The New Yorker, but was eventually fired after poet Robert Frost complained of Truman’s attitude problem. Had many successes, but In Cold Blood was his seminal work. He also wrote the famous short story “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which was later turned into the classic Hollywood film starring Audrey Hepburn. Capote’s Career Truman was fired from the New Yorker after Robert Frost complained of Truman’s attitude problem. None his submitted stories were published by The New Yorker at this time. Other Voices, Other Rooms—story of a boy growing up in the Deep South who falls into a relationship with a decadent transvestite. Wide success and controversial for its treatment of homosexuality. “Porgy and Bess”, American Opera to receive international acclaim, by Gershwin, tragic love story of two down-and-out blacks. Jazz themes. Grass Harp became 1996 movie w/ Piper Laurie, Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, Edward Furlong, Jack Lemmon. Beat the Devil, screenplay, starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones.

In Cold Blood “It seemed to me that journalism, reportage, could be forced to yield a serious new art form: the ‘nonfiction novel.’ I wanted to produce a journalistic novel, something on a large scale that would have the credibility of fact, the immediacy of film, the depth and freedom of prose, and the precision of poetry.” “Then one morning in November, 1959, while flicking through The New York Times, I encountered on a deep-inside page, this headline: ‘Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain’…It suddenly struck me that a crime, the study of one such, might provide the broad scope I needed to write the kind of book I wanted to write.” *Capote was able to identify a hole in the literary and journalistic market. Many popular books/series have him to thank for America’s fascination with true crime.

The Writing of In Cold Blood: When Capote learned of the quadruple murder in the New York Times, before the killers were even captured, he decided to travel to Kansas and write about the crime. He was accompanied by his childhood friend and fellow author Harper Lee, and together they interviewed local residents and investigators assigned to the case and took over 8,000 pages of notes.  “I worked for a year on the notes before I ever wrote one line. When I wrote the first word, I had done the entire book in outline, down to the finest detail,” Capote said. Capote spent 6 years writing In Cold Blood, and received many suggestions and edits from Harper Lee before finalizing his draft. The book is dedicated to her.

In Cold Blood: The Publication In Cold Blood was originally published as a 4 part series in The New Yorker during the fall of 1965. The book has a total of 86 scenes which alternate viewpoints. - “…resembles a screenplay, in that Capote avoids chapter headings and numbered sections; all the action unfolds in a fluid succession of scenes. The pace is rapid, the fundamental technique is simple.” Part 1: “The Last to See Them Alive” Part 2: “Persons Unknown” Part 3: “The Answer” Part 4: “The Corner”

The Clutter Family Victims Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon Nov. 1959 - Herb Clutter, 48, was found in pajamas sprawled on a mattress in the basement. He had been stabbed, his throat slashed, and he had a shotgun blast to his head. His hands were bound and his mouth was taped shut. On a couch in an adjoining room was his 15-year-old son Kenyon, bound, gagged and shot in the head. In separate upstairs bedrooms were the bodies of Mrs. Clutter, 45, and Nancy, 16. Each had been bound and shot in the head.

Holcomb, Kansas

Cold-Blooded Documentary Series