In Cold Blood

J, from J's scratchpad brought up the fact that it was the 40th anniversary of In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote. She read it in high school where someone complained it wasn't ok for school. I read it in my first year of college. It was a Modern American Lit class. The professor was less than inspiring, the class was a bit on the pathetic side, definitely not the sort that you imagine in a college class. All around the class seemed it would be an exercise in feeling superior. Then came In Cold Blood. I wanted to hate the book. I didn't. I wasn't the only one. People that I am sure didn't read the other books participated in class discussion. I went on a true crime jag. Unfortunately, I never came across one that felt like In Cold Blood again. Maybe that is fortunate, hard to tell.

But I definitely thank this less than inspiring prof for choosing Capote (and Joan Didion later in class.) I can only remember a handful of authors I read in college. No other class brings to mind more than one.