IN COLD BLOOD by Capote, Truman - 1965

New York: Random House, 1965. First edition. Near fine in near-fine jacket.. First printing of the pivotal true-crime book - signed by Capote, and with the ownership signature of Dorothy B. Hughes, author of the inverted noir masterpiece, IN A LONELY PLACE (1947). Capote wrote IN COLD BLOOD in search of a form that married non-fiction with elements of literary fiction. He researched it in Kansas with childhood friend Harper Lee, whose way with people opened doors in the tense atmosphere. ("She is a gifted woman, courageous, and with a warmth that instantly kindles most people, however suspicious or dour," Capote told Plimpton in 1966.) Writing IN COLD BLOOD, Capote attempted to understand the minds of killers - a trait that Sarah Weinman ascribes to Hughes in the novel IN A LONELY PLACE nearly twenty years before: "She was describing the psyche and actions of a serial killer years before the term existed." A jaw-droppingly great association copy, linking the two writers in the 20th century who most transformed how we write about murder. 8.25'' x 5.5''. Original dark red cloth, gilt-lettered front board, silver- and gilt-lettered spine. In original unclipped ($5.95) typographic dust jacket designed by S. Neil Fujita. Dark red endpapers, black topstain, fore-edge machine deckle. [10], 343, [1] pages. Ink ownership signature "Dorothy B. Hughes" in blue ink on front flyleaf. Signed by Capote in black ink on half title. A few unobtrusive spots to cloth; jacket toned, as usually found, with only light rubbing to spine extremities.