Truman Capote Quote by Truman Capote
![“In Cold Blood is the story of these six people—the [four] Clutters, who died together November 15, 1959, and Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who were hanged April 14, 1965. And my book is the story of their lives and their deaths. It’s a completely factual account and every word is true. — Truman…” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d8d/truman-capote-376_quote_in-cold-blood-is-the-story-of-these-six_1438084.jpg)
““In Cold Blood is the story of these six people—the [four] Clutters, who died together November 15, 1959, and Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who were hanged April 14, 1965. And my book is the story of their lives and their deaths. It’s a completely factual account and every word is true. — Truman Capote, interviewed in A Visit with Truman Capote, Maysles Films, 1966 (alternate title: With Love From Truman).””
About This Quote
Source Interview: A Visit with Truman Capote, Maysles Films, 1966
Capote describes his nonfiction novel as a factual chronicle of the murders and the perpetrators, emphasizing truthfulness in narrative.
In simple terms: He claims the book is a true account of the murders and the murderers.
Key Takeaway
Treat the story as a factual record.
Themes
nonfiction
crime
true crime
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
explanatory
informative
When to use this quote
- true crime writing
- documentary research
- historical analysis
- legal studies
Key Concepts
journalism
narrative truth
ethical reporting
Questions to Reflect On
- How does narrative shape perception of factual events?
- What responsibilities do authors have when recounting true crimes?
A Different Perspective
The claim of total factuality can be contested due to narrative shaping.
![“When you think about [Truman] Capote in the - was what he did exploitative of a person's life or exploitative of these murders? You look at our culture now, you look at celebrity and how it plays out in our culture now, and Capote was one of the great PR men of his time.” quote by Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c49/philip-seymour-hoffman-2704_culture_when-you-think-about-truman-capote-in-th_694751.jpg)
![“With "Good Night, and Good Luck," I think it's kind of obvious what [Truman Capote]'s getting at there, and the importance of how it's playing out today, that is journalism doing, are the journalists doing their job, are they being the other checks and balances in our country that the way that…” quote by Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e49/philip-seymour-hoffman-2704_balance_with-good-night-and-good-luck-i-think-it_536205.jpg)
![“[Truman Capote] was not only just selling his writing, but he was selling himself as a person.” quote by Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/793/philip-seymour-hoffman-2704_persons_truman-capote-was-not-only-just-selling_647265.jpg)
![“It's hard these days to have a conversation, at least it is for me, about [Truman]Capote without "Good Night, and Good Luck" coming up in the same conversation.” quote by Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f1/tavis-smiley-7372_communication_it-s-hard-these-days-to-have-a-conversat_867941.jpg)