New Journalism for New College Students

Truman Capote created an entirely new genre of literature called New Journalism with his groundbreaking novel, In Cold Blood. The genre allows the author to integrate his or her own subjective response to actual people and events contained within a story. What develops is a nonfiction narrative that is written using dramatic literary techniques so that the account reads like fiction. As a result, In Cold Blood is an ideal choice for lovers of fiction and nonfiction alike. Readers follow Capote as he travels to Holcomb, Kansas, to investigate the grisly murder of a family of four. What starts as a newspaper article, manifests into a novel that explores a senseless and seemingly motiveless crime. Most people think of Breakfast at Tiffany’s when they hear the name Truman Capote. However, there is no glamour, wealth or romance in Capote’s novel In Cold Blood. Instead, the writing is gritty, suspenseful and beautifully executed, as each one of Capote’s sentences is rich, crisp and fine-tuned. Enthralling and complex, readers will devour this book and impress their professors by making references to the text in any college literature or psychology class.

Literary Trivia: Finally, for those of you who love Harper Lee, do note that she and Capote were childhood friends as well as writers. She traveled to Kansas to assist Capote when he was writing In Cold Blood. Those who have a keen eye will notice that Capote and Lee’s writing styles are similar.

Favorite Quotation:

“I thought that Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman. I thought so right up to the moment that I cut his throat.”
― Truman Capote, In Cold Blood