Gerald Clarke Quotations

In the writing of memoirs, as in the production of shows, too much caution causes the audience to nod and think of other channels.

Before Truman Capote, journalism and non-fiction weren't taken very seriously.

His theory was that non-fiction could be as artful as fiction.

Before Truman, journalism and non-fiction weren't taken very seriously.

I don't think Capote loved Smith. But he did make a deep connection. It upset some people, because that had never been the approach to journalistic crime writing, to look into the mind of the killer.

He did tell me that 'In Cold Blood' scraped him down to the marrow of his bones. That's how he phrased it. He achieved fame, money, everything a writer ever, ever wants in the world, and it ruined his life.

He identified with Perry Smith. Perry Smith had a terrible childhood. Perry's was much worse than Truman's. Perry was really, really miserable. Truman's was just really miserable. But the loneliness--both of them shared this loneliness.

He identified with Perry Smith, ... Perry Smith had a terrible childhood. Perry's was much worse than Truman's. Perry was really, really miserable. Truman's was just really miserable. But the loneliness--both of them shared this loneliness.

That did happen. He may have made a connection with Perry, but Truman was ultimately a writer. A writer trying to get the story.

Before In Cold Blood , Truman was a normal, if ambitious, person,

They were convicted almost immediately in March of 1960, but the appeals lasted 5 years. And it was hard on them, as you can imagine, and hard on Truman.

It was the most dramatic and probably the most important period in his life, and it changed him radically in all sorts of ways,

Before Truman, journalism and non-fiction weren't taken very seriously. Journalism was seen as a hack profession that had very little style, very little grace. After In Cold Blood , people saw real-life stories in a different way.

He said at the time that the book scraped him down to the marrow of his bones. It changed him.

I don't think there are many Capote letters that I have not seen for my biography and for 'Too Brief a Treat.' But there are undoubtedly some that I have not seen and that I hope will come to light someday.