In Cold Blood Context

What does Cluley suggest Capote’s absence from the text shows?

an attempt at objectivity

What did Tynan accuse Capote of?

allowing the murderers to be executed to give the book a better ending

What does Cluley suggest the fabricated ending scene means?

the conclusion is life, not death, but is still haunting

In the Plimpton interview, what was Capote’s reasoning for distancing himself from New Journalism?

he felt the leaders of the movement lacked creative talent

Generally speaking, was Capote interested in crime?

no

According to the Plimpton interview, did Capote think that Perry meant to kill the Clutters?

no

How often did Capote write to the murderers?

twice a week

According to the Plimpton interview, how long was the letter Perry wrote to Capote just before his execution?

1000 pages

What did Kauffman think was the biggest problem with the book?

all the content after we learn that the murders have happened is overinflated

Did Kauffman think Capote had created a new genre?

no

What did Kauffman think of the presentation of the killers?

despite the book’s immense length, the portraits we get are ultimately shallow

What did Kauffman think was Capote’s ultimate aim with the book?

to boost his own ego by fashioning himself a writer of literature, and to pursue his love of the gothic and grotesque

What aspect of America did Tanner think Capote had captured?

the dichotomy between criminals and the community, and how some people straddle that dichotomy

Who said, “It is the American Dream turning into an American nightmare”?

Tanner

According to Tanner, who is the most interesting character in the book?

Perry

What does Tanner say the reader must be aware of?

that even in a novel composed entirely of facts, the person who arranges those facts still holds considerable influence

What was Tanner’s overall feeling about the book?

Capote’s tampering left him uneasy

According to Grahame, what does Perry’s extended verbatim account reveal?

Capote’s fascination with and ambivalent empathy for him

Which of Capote’s devices eventually became staples of New Journalism?

carefully crafted scenes, multiple perspectives, transcribed dialogue, and the recording of trivial details

How did Tynan sum up the human cost of Capote’s book?

“No piece of prose, however deathless, is worth a human life.”

What does Grahame assert that In Cold Blood proved?

that journalism could be an equal of literary fiction, and that reality can be as moving as fiction

What genre is In Cold Blood?

faction

What literary movement was In Cold Blood linked to, though Capote himself rejected the designation?

New Journalism

How did the people of Holcomb receive Capote?

they thought he was odd, and were put off by his metropolitan mannerisms

What was Harper Lee’s role in researching the novel?

she accompanied Capote to Kansas and used her more charming Southern manner to break the ice with the townfolk

Which family did Capote become lifelong friends with?

the Deweys

How did Capote find out about the murders?

he saw an article in the New York Times

Where was Capote when Dick and Perry were arrested?

at the Deweys’ house

What are the McNaughton rules?

the legal rules governing the insanity defence, which only allow a psychologist to answer yes or no with no nuance

What is the 4H club?

an American organisation with overseas branches which helps rural people develop practical abilities and moral character

What is the American Dream?

the idea that in America, any person can improve their situation by hard work

When was the novel published?

1966

When did research for the novel begin?

1959

What did Capote claim was his percentage of accuracy for reproducing quotes from memory?

90%

What stylistic demand did Capote make for the film?

it had to be in black and white

What was the first state to completely abolish capital punishment?

Wisconsin

Who described the ‘Two Rivers of American Life’?

Norman Mailer

Who described ‘In Cold Blood’ as parajournalism?

Dwight McDonald

What was the name of Capote’s 1966 launch party for the book?

the Black and White Ball

How did Capote describe his role as a writer regarding ‘In Cold Blood’?

a literary photographer

What was the estimated cost of the Black and White Ball?

$16000

Who were the last two people executed in Kansas?

George York and James Latham

When were York and Latham executed?

1965

What was the name of Capote’s semi-autobiographical book about his childhood in Alabama?

‘Other Voices, Other Rooms’

In which magazine was ‘In Cold Blood’ serialised in 1965?

The New Yorker

In which years was capital punishment reinstated in Kansas?

1931 and 1994

Which local newspaper was hostile towards Capote?

the Garden City Telegram

What is the epigraph of the book?

‘Ballad of the Hanged’

Why did Capote choose the theme of murder?

it was timeless

Allegedly, how much money did Capote offer to bribe his way into Death Row?

$10,000