Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood

Raffi writes:
For my independent reading book, I am reading Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.  In Cold Blood is a nonfiction book about the random and shocking murder of four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas in November, 1959.
Truman Capote was born September 30th, 1924 in New Orleans.  He died on August 25th, 1984 at the age of 59.  Capote had a rough childhood to overcome before he became a professional writer.  Both of his parents had trouble holding jobs, and because of this Capote’s family was constantly moving.  His parents split up when he was just four years old.  Since childhood, Capote was a very good friend of To Kill a Mockingbird author, Harper Lee.  The character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird is based off of Capote as a child.  Capote began writing for the first time when he was eleven years old.  At the start of his professional writing career, he mostly had success with short stories.  
In Cold Blood is Capote’s most famous book.  When he heard about the murders in Holcomb, he and Harper Lee traveled together to interview locals and get information on the murder.  He ended up staying for four years. In writing this book, Capote created a new genre; the nonfiction novel.
At the very beginning of In Cold Blood, Capote describes how quiet and small the town of Holcomb is.  He illustrates the barrenness and desolation by describing stores and dance clubs that have long gone out of business. For many people, the murder of the four Clutter family members is the first thing that comes to mind regarding Holcomb, Kansas.  “Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans – in fact, few Kansans – had ever heard of Holcomb.”