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| 'I always wanted to be a writer.' Photograph: Glenn Koenig |
Q&A: Anne Rice
Saturday 25 October 2014
Born in New Orleans, Rice, 73, wrote The Vampire Chronicles. The series started with her 1976 book, Interview With The Vampire, which became a movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Prince Lestat, her first new Vampire Chronicles novel in more than a decade, is published on Tuesday. She is widowed with one son, and lives in California.
When were you happiest?
In some respects, I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.
What is your greatest fear?
Death, of ceasing to exist.
What is your earliest memory?
A birthday party for a cousin when I was about two and a half. I wanted to put a little metal Christmas tree on the cake as a decoration.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
The writer George RR Martin, for his remarkable imagination.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience, anger, unkindness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cynicism and pessimism.
Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
Probably an antique French doll.
What is your most treasured possession?
My computer, my writing tools.
What is your screensaver?
The actor Anson Mount, who plays Cullen Bohannon in the TV series Hell On Wheels. He’s very beautiful.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Neanderthal men and women.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My weight. I’d love to weigh 90lb, as I did when I was a teenager.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Susan Sarandon or Sally Field.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Interrupting people.
What is your favourite smell?
Chanel No 22 perfume.
What is your favourite word?
“Exquisite”.
Which book changed your life?
Great Expectations.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I always wanted to be a writer. I did want to be a great violinist, too, but I had no ear or talent for it.
What is top of your bucket list?
Going to India.
To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
Too painful to contemplate. They’re all dead now.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Stan Rice, my husband of 41 years.
What was the best kiss of your life?
Don’t remember any great kisses.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
The death of my daughter before her sixth birthday.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I’d go to first-century Palestine and look for Jesus.
How do you relax?
I settle in a recliner every evening with a Diet Coke, to watch the best TV or movies I can find.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
In 1998 I was in a diabetic coma. My heart had ceased to beat.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My novels.
Where would you most like to be right now?
Right here, at this desk, writing.
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