1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

2. In Cold Blood A non-fiction novel written by Truman Capote in the 1960’s – published in 1966 - after the brutal murder of the Clutter family in Holcolmb, Kansas. This book is often lauded as the first “non-fiction” novel – a new genre – and is the “father” of modern “true-crime” stories, novels, police procedurals, etc. While critically acclaimed, Capote was disappointed that it did not win the Pulitzer Prize.

3. In Cold Blood Truman Capote got the idea to write a book about the murders after seeing the following article in the New York Times: –Holcomb, Kan., Nov. 15 [1959] (UPI)—A wealthy wheat farmer, his wife and their two young children were found shot to death today in their home. They had been killed by shotgun blasts at close range after being bound and gagged. The father, 48-year-old Herbert W. Clutter, was found in the basement with his son, Kenyon, 15. His wife Bonnie, 45, and a daughter, Nancy, 16, were in their beds. There were no signs of a struggle, and nothing had been stolen. The telephone lines had been cut.

4. In Cold Blood – The Author Truman Capote

5. In Cold Blood – The Author Truman Capote – 1924-1984 – American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Born in Louisiana as Truman Streckfus Persons, his father and mother divorced, and he eventually moved to NYC to live with his mother and her second husband, by whom he was adopted, and his name was changed to Truman Garcia Capote. He began writing as a teenager. He was good friends with Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird. In fact, she travelled with him to Kansas to cover the Clutter murders. He became addicted to drugs and alcohol and eventually died at the age of 59 of liver cancer and “multiple drug intoxication.” He is quoted as saying about the book In Cold Blood – –“No one will ever know what 'In Cold Blood' took out of me. It scraped me right down to the marrow of my bones. It nearly killed me. I think, in a way, it did kill me.”

6. In Cold Blood By some, the book was acclaimed as a “totally objective, fair” book about what happened that fateful night in November, 1959, by others, however, it was not seen as “fair” and “objective at all. In Cold Blood - 1966 Book Review “But, Capote's journalism is a subjective one; for, he selectively reports by eliminating details that do not suit his purpose, as well as imposing details and interpretations of Perry for whom he becomes sympathetic.” (Westwood) “Writing in Esquire in 1966, Phillip K. Tompkins noted factual discrepancies after he traveled to Kansas and talked to some of the same people interviewed by Capote. In a telephone interview with Tompkins, Mrs. Meier denied that she heard Perry cry and that she held his hand as described by Capote. In Cold Blood indicates that Meier and Perry became close, yet she told Tompkins she spent little time with Perry and did not talk much with him.” "I recognized it as a work of art, but I know fakery when I see it; Capote completely fabricated quotes and whole scenes.” – Jack Olsen

7. In Cold Blood – The Places Setting – Several – Mainly Holcolmb Kansas:

8. In Cold Blood Clutter House as it was in 1959 Clutter House today

9. In Cold Blood – The Places Other Settings: –Garden City, Kansas –Olathe Kansas –Mexico –Miami, Florida –Las Vegas, Nevada –Lansing, Kansas – The state prison

10. In Cold Blood – The People The Clutter family: Herbert Clutter – Father Bonnie Clutter – Wife Nancy Clutter – Teenage Daughter Kenyon Clutter – Teenage Son And - Not killed were two other daughters who no longer lived at home: Eveanna and Beverly

11. In Cold Blood – The People The Clutter Family: –Herbert Clutter – Wealthy Kansas farmer, devout Methodist, loving, caring man. Very well-respected in the community, had held notable positions in the Department of Agriculture. –Bonnie Clutter – Herb’s wife – Was at one time very outgoing and happy, but of late had been suffering severe depression, panic, and anxiety attacks. Mental illness, still seen as “taboo,” people referred to her “sickness” without any specifics. –Nancy Clutter – “Perfect” teenager girl, pretty, smart, always well-behaved, dated the high school football star, Bobby Rupp –Kenyon Clutter – Teenage son of the Clutters, a good kid, but was beginning to feel tugs of independence from his strict father – especially shown in his smoking.

12. In Cold Blood – The People The murderers – –Perry Smith and Richard Hickock

13. In Cold Blood – The People The Villains: –Richard “Dick” Hickock – From Olathe, Kansas, the son of a farmer. Dick had been a popular student and good athlete in high school, however, a serious car accident after graduation had caused some facial deformity and it is speculated, some brain damage. Married twice and both times divorced, father to three sons, Dick eventually fell into a life of petty crime which mostly consisted of forging and writing bad checks. This would land him in prison where he met Perry Smith. Hickock was also categorized as an “Ephebophilie” – someone who likes teenage girls ages 14-17. –Perry Smith – Born in Nevada to rodeo performers, he was a mix of Irish and Cherokee. Was raised in abusive home. Eventually his mother left his father and became an alcoholic and died when Perry was 13. He was then put in a Catholic orphanage where he alleges the nuns abused him terribly. Eventually reunited with his father, who tried to kill him. He then joined the Merchant Marines and eventually the US Army. He served in the Korean War. He was in a terrible motorcycle accident that left him crippled and in constant pain. He eventually went to prison for petty crimes – where he met Hickock.

14. In Cold Blood – The People Other people – –Bobby Rupp – Nancy’s boyfriend –Susan Kidwell – Nancy’s best friend –Alvin Dewey – Investigator for the KBI –Harold Nye – Assistant Investigator for the KBI –Tex Smith – Perry’s father –Willy-Jay – Assistant chaplain in the Kansas prison –Floyd Wells – Inmate at Kansas prison –Aflred Stoecklein – Herb Clutter’s ranch hand –Bess Hartman – Owners of Hartman’s Café in Holcolmb

15. In Cold Blood - Themes Look for themes relating to the following: –Victimization as a defense in criminal cases –Anti-death penalty –How suspicion can make even friends and long-time acquaintances mistrust one another. –The changing of America – losing our innocence –Mental Illness –Masculinity versus Femininity –The “haves” – vs- the “have-nots” –Income inequality – an “entitlement mentality”