The brief was for a cover design which transgresses boundaries in the same way that the book did. It should be bold, maybe even shocking, yet remain true to the book, reflecting both its literary merit and its spine-tingling content.
The design symbolizes what really lies underneath the American Dream. Layers of drama, gloom, obsession, frustration and tragedy. Through this design you can see the link between the main characters of the story, killers and victims. Additionally, you can see the way in which the killings occurred – shootings, slitting throats, as well as Capote’s obsession and tiredness – notes, observations, articles from newspapers, stains.