The Literature Book

279

See also: To Kill a Mockingbird 272–73 ■ The Armies of the Night 291 ■ Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 332

POSTWAR WRITING

and relatives of the victims, local

residents, police, prison warders,

psychiatrists, and the murderers

themselves. He did not record

interviews, but scribbled down

quotes and impressions afterward.

Truth and embellishment

The end result is a remarkable work

in which Capote constructs scene

after scene, building up characters

and allowing participants to tell

their stories in their own words.

The book was first serialized in The

New Yorker magazine, and was an

instant success. American journalist

Jack Olsen said it was the first book

to make true crime a “successful,

commercial genre.” Even so, Capote

was accused of having falsified or

exaggerated events. He denied this

falsification, though there is some

evidence of embellishment.

Tom Wolfe wrote that In Cold

Blood had given New Journalism

“an overwhelming momentum,” and

he went on to codify the features of

the form in his 1973 book, The New

Journalism. He stated that Capote’s

novel incorporated all the form’s

key techniques: firsthand

witnessing of events; real dialogue;

third-person narrative; and detailed

description of minute life details,

such as how the killers brushed

their teeth. This created a nearly

factual reportage presented in the

style of a novel, enabling readers

to gain an understanding of events

and characters that was all the

more powerful for being based on

real events. ■

Blending fact and fiction

New

Journalism

• Creates a connection
  with the reader.


• Blends reporting with
  a distinct literary “voice.”


• Examines emotions,
  motivations, and
  characters.


• Retains factual
  accuracy.

Journalism

• Accurate and
  thoroughly researched.


• Focuses on narrative—
  telling the story.


• Brevity and concise
  form are valued.

Fiction

• Literature created
  from the imagination
  of the author.


• May be based
  on real events.

Truman Capote Born Truman Streckfus Persons^

in New Orleans on September 30,

1924, Capote had a troubled

childhood. His parents divorced

when he was four, and he was

raised by relatives. He then

rejoined his mother and her

second husband, Joseph Capote,

attending school in New York City

and Greenwich, Connecticut. His

career began with a string of short

stories published in magazines

such as Harper’s Bazaar and

The New Yorker. His first novel,

Other Voices, Other Rooms, was

published in 1948 and established

him as a significant writer. Capote

was a controversial figure. A

socialite, heavy drinker, and

sometime drug user, he enjoyed

a flamboyant lifestyle and lived

openly as a gay man, which was

unusual at that time. In later life

he became reclusive, and died in

Los Angeles on August 25, 1984.

Other key works

1945 “Miriam” (short story)

1951 The Grass Harp

1958 Breakfast at Tiffany’s

1986 Answered Prayers:

The Unfinished Novel

(published posthumously)

US_278-279_ColdBlood.indd 279 08/10/2015 13:09