Harold Schechter on True Crime Writing and Ed Gein

Researching Ed Gein

• 🔍 Harold Schechter conducted deep research for his book on Ed Gein, including visiting Plainfield, speaking with people who knew Gein, and interviewing psychiatrists.
• 📚 He gained access to court records and psychiatric records to piece together Gein's life and crimes.

Creative Non-Fiction Techniques

• ✍️ Schechter discusses how Truman Capote's "non-fiction novel" approach, known as creative non-fiction, employs novelistic techniques to tell factual stories.
• 💡 He acknowledges that some elements in Capote's work, like the climactic scene in "In Cold Blood," were products of creative imagination.
• 🎭 Schechter consciously emulated Capote's approach in his book "Deviant," allowing himself to create scenes, particularly those involving Gein's mother, based on documentary evidence and his understanding of their relationship.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

• 📖 Schechter's motto for writing "Deviant" was "You have to believe me. It's the truth, even if it didn't happen," inspired by Ken Kesey.
• 🧩 His task was to transform thousands of pages of dry material into a compelling story by applying novelistic techniques.

Evolution of a Crime Historian

• 🧐 In the years since writing "Deviant," Schechter now considers himself more of a crime historian than a true crime writer.
• 📜 His more recent books are scrupulously documented and footnoted, with every piece of information traceable to a specific primary document.