In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote was published decades before true crime became one of the most popular podcast and Netflix genres. It is a masterful telling of a tragic murder in 1959 Kansas that some consider the original nonfiction novel. Capote draws you in from the first page, both telling the story of the horrific murder and offering insight into the killers themselves. It is a fast read and feels shorter than its 343 pages, but don’t rush through it—unpack the story slowly. I read this book many years ago, and it is still one of my favorites, primarily for Capote’s ability to find the perfect words to describe every character and scene. —Rachel Moeller, executive director, Alumni Relations

I also recommend the film Capote, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar for the role, which follows the events during the writing of the book.