These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Critics often cite In Cold Blood as a work that helped popularize true crime—a genre that now encompasses not just books and journalism but documentaries, YouTube series, podcasts, and more. What do you think draws people to true crime stories? Is it just morbid curiosity, or does the genre also help us think through some aspect of ourselves, our lives, our society, etc.? 

Teaching Suggestion: Given the amount of debate (and controversy) the true crime genre continues to spark, there’s no “right” answer to this question. However, encourage students to think beyond the more voyeuristic aspects of the genre to the ways in which true crime might help us cope with issues like mortality and the nature of evil.

• “Why do we love true crime - and is it healthy for us?”: NBC News op-ed on the psychology of our interest in true crime
• “Why Do Women Love True Crime?”: New York Times article on the gender dynamics of the true crime genre
• “Is True Crime as Entertainment Morally Defensible?”: New York Times discussion of the ethics of the genre