Larry King Live Interview Transcribed by Mishian of the Anne Rice Mailing List Hypertexted by Shay Larry King Live (CNN) July 27, 1995 L.K.= Larry King A.R.= Anne Rice L.K.: The vampire Lestat is back, and this time he's met his match in Memnoch the Devil, the fifth volume in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, there you see the cover. Critics are calling it the best in the series. It's already at the top of every best seller list. Joining us here in Washington is author Anne Rice. A.R.: (laughing) L.K.: Are you surprised anymore or are you automatic now? A.R.: Oh no. I'm surprised. I'm always surprised. L.K.: This is the fastest you've ever gone to the top. A.R.: Absolutely, yeah... L.K.: Right by Pat Conroy... A.R.: ... and this is a risky book. L.K.: ... whom I'm sure... A.R.: Oh I know, whom I love. I love Pat Conroy, personally. He's great, yeah. But it was great fun to fly up there, and I couldn't believe it. L.K.: What's the first printing? A.R.: Um, I think they're near a million. I think the first printing was 600, 700 thousand. I don't know. L.K.: Well normally you would say titles should "swing". Beach Music, wonderful title. Gone with the Wind, not a bad title... A.R.: Definitely L.K.: ... Memnoch the Devil is a good title? Memnoch the Devil is a... A.R.: (laughing) Yeah. I think it's a *great* title! L.K.: Where did you get that name? A.R.: I made it up, checking to make sure that there was no other person in all of Hebrew history named Memnoch. I think I'm right. I think I checked it out... L.K.: Did you use a computer? A.R.: No, I just looked through all my books: the Kabalah, and I went through all my studies of, of you know... L.K.: Someone said today this is your most, one of the critics, *sensual* work... A.R.: Oh that's-, I'm very glad to- ... L.K.: ... Would you agree? And spiritual. A.R.: It is! Absolutely! It's, it's um... L.K.: What is the story here? What happens? A.R.: Well, Lestat, my, my hero, has been through five books and he's been through every conceivable adventure I could imagine... L.K.: Because he didn't die. A.R.: Yes, and also because I take him very seriously... L.K.: I know you do Anne. That's one of your problems. A.R.: (laughing) That's one of my problems! All right! L.K.: (unintelligible)... -a long time. A.R.: That's why I jumped on you the last time, about the rats, right?! But anyway, um- which I was sorry for. Um, in this he confronts God and the Devil, as other people have, you know, two, two images present themselves and say "We are God. We are the Devil." you know. And the Devil tries to win him over as, as an adversary of God. And so, it was-, to me , asking every question that really concerned me about life. I'm obsessed with the idea-. Do you believe-. Well, I shouldn't ask you. But I'm obsessed with the idea if whether or not we have a God. I'm obsessed with whether or not we have a personal Devil, or if evil's just a... L.K.: Are you obsessed with whether or not there's anything after this? A.R.: Oh absolutely! Yes! And I read everything that I can from the near-death experiences. L.K.: All right. The more you read, the more you write. Are you less convinced or more convinced? A.R.: The older I get and the more I read, the more convinced I am that there is a God. That it is absolutely *stupid* not to think so. L.K.: And that there is something else when you die. A.R.: Oh yeah, yeah. Absolutely. L.K.: All right, the plot line, it sounds ethereal. A.R.: Mmm hmm L.K.: Uh, Lestat is talking with the God and Memnoch is the Devil... A.R.: Right, right L.K.: ... What's the plot line though. There's gotta-. There's a plot weaving its way through there. A.R.: Well Memnoch wants Lestat to, to help him and he wants to win him over and he thinks he's... L.K.: Where's this taking place? A.R.: ... and uh-. It starts in New York City, on Fifth Ave., actually and the Devil sweeps him away to show him, uh, Creation from his point of view. And everything that *he* feels God is wrong about, which is essentially human suffering. Th-, that's what the book is about. Well, you know, how do you justify human suffering. What is the meaning of blood sacrifice? What's the meaning of blood, you know? Wh-, what is the best blood. I mean, what, what, what does it mean to have a religion founded upon a murder, the execution of Christ? You know, that' s what it means... L.K.: Do you think your helped by the (unintelligible- Simpson trial?)? A.R.: (laughing) No! No! No but I'm inspired by everything and obsessed with everything! L.K.: You are? A.R.: Yeah, yeah. But I'm very obsessed with this question and, and the vampires, for me, have always been spiritual explorers and this is like the culmination of the five books. This is the last one as far as I'm concerned. L.K.: When did-. You're not going to write anymore vampires? A.R.: No. I don't think so. L.K.: Are you going to do a book like, like Judie Krantz? A.R.: (laughing) L.K.: No, I mean what are you going to do? A.R.: My next book is called Servant of the Bones. It's about a Hebrew ghost, he starts out in Babylon, B.C. Right, right when... L.K.: Servant of the Bones. You can't get away from it. A.R.: I will not get away from it! No, no, no. I, I want to do a Hebrew ghost who does not want to be a bad ghost anymore. L.K.: Are you looking forward to Mel Brooks' Dracula? A.R.: I'm very much looking forward to it... L.K.: What do you think he's going to do with it? A.R.: ... I ran a big 2 page ad in Variety, you know, telling him how thrilled I was. I can't wait! L.K.: How did you get, for want of a better term, *hung* on this vampire stuff? A.R.: They ca-, I don't know. They came to me as, as the natural metaphor for us, for our affluence, our powers, our ,you know... L.K.: When did you write the first vampire book? A.R.: 1976. I don't wh-. *1974*. I didn't know what I was doing. L.K.: What was the title? A.R.: Interview with the Vampire. L.K.: That was your first one? A.R.: Yeah! I was just sitting there thinking what it would be like... L.K.: Was that a hit right away? A.R.: Yeah. Well, more or less. It was sort of both. It was a hit in the... L.K.: Cult hit. A.R.: ... underground. Well, yeah it was both. Little bit best seller and then little bit cult, cult hit. L.K.: What took off for you? A.R.: What *really* took off? A book called The Queen of the Damned, which was the third one in the series. But The Vampire Lestat, the second one, where Lestat became the real hero of the Chronicles, that was a big break through. The Queen of the Damned was the first one to be number one, where we almost fell over dead. L.K.: You say you sit there and you just go at it... A.R.: I go at it. L.K.: ... Does that mean you don't plot it out? A.R.: No, I think a lot about it. I think a *great* deal about it. L.K.: Do you plot it out? A.R.: S-, to some extent, but I'm always ready for something to happen. I just, I type very fast, Olympic-type speed, you know. And, and, and revelations come to me, you know. L.K.: Are you strongly edited? A.R.: Oh no! Not at all! L.K.: Not at all A.R.: As a matter of fact my editor has graciously gotten used to the fact that I can't change anything. And she's famous for being a very good editor. L.K.: Who's your editor? A.R.: Vicki Wilson at Knopf. She's very famous for being an *outstanding* editor. And she leaves me completely alone. She knows I can't take it, I can't... L.K.: So therefore you don't write 3 to 1. Cause Conroy gets spared a lot, because he writes a lot. A.R.: Ah, well, I just don't, uh... L.K.: Thomas Wolford will write 5 to 1. A.R.: Yeah, I, I just, you know... L.K.: Wh-, what we read is what you wrote, and we... A.R.: Absolutely, exactly. L.K.: ... ain't missing anything. A.R.: And if somebody says its badly edited, that means Anne badly edited it when she went through it, on her computer. L.K.: Now wh-, what has this done to your own *life*. Like the way you dress. In this mode, this hair. The dark, black hair coming down, the cross on your thing. I mean is this like schtick? A.R.: All my life I have looked wrong and been stared at. All my life. I would go to my own booksignings in a Brooks Bros. blue blazer, you know, and people would come in with white make-up and fangs, you know, and say "My! We never expected you to be so ordinary and so dull!" L.K.: So this is... A.R.: I'm finally dressing the way I want to dress. I asked somebody to make this for me, Bonnie Brall. I said "Just make me something that looks like a combination of Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson." I want to shine. I want glitter, I want sparkle, I want to wear something that's pretty. I'm always wrong anyway. They're always staring at me for some reason, you know. So I might as well do what I want to do. Th-, that's it. L.K.: What's the thing around the neck? A.R.: Oh this is just various jewelry I collected. I thought these crosses were great. This is a replica from the Modern Museum, the uh NOMA... L.K.: Do you wear them for any reason, to fend off devils? A.R.: No. I don't, I don't wear it all to fend off devils. I think it has a deep meaning for me because of my deep, um, you know, search for the truth. L.K.: They gonna make a movie of this one? A.R.: Uh, we'll see. It's David Geffen's call again. He's got control of all the vampires. Um, I didn't ask him. I talked to him today, but I forgot to ask him. L.K.: You wound up happy with Tom Cruise, right? A.R.: I wound up *blissfully* happy with Tom Cruise. L.K.: First not liking it, then liking it. A.R.: Liking it very much and thinking it was a very serious and very good movie. L.K.: Cast Memnoch. Who would play Memnoch? A.R.: Oh now that's a good question. Um, I really-. You know after the cast battle over Tom Cruise... L.K.: Yeah but if you could pick one out of the hat... A.R.: ... (laughing) I won't ever say a word again. L.K.: ...Who comes to mind as a good Memnoch? A.R.: Well in... L.K.: Me, I thought Tom Hanks as an actual... A.R.: No, no. This, this devil... L.K.: A little joke there! A.R.: (laughing) L.K.: Go ahead. A.R.: We all know Tom Hanks can do many things. We all know that, right? L.K.: But who would come to mind? If they-. Anne who would you like to see? A.R. Antonio Banderas, if we could explain away the accent. (Both laugh) L.K.: We'll be right back with your calls for Anne Rice. Memnoch is out! It's number 1 in a week! Don't go away. (Commercial) L.K.: Our guest is Anne Rice. Already another major best seller. The last Vampire book, get it while it's hot, there won't be any others. Next is what? A.R.: Azriel, Servant of the Bones. L.K.: Azriel, Servant of the Bones. This is Jewish mysticism. A.R.: Yes. Everybody in it is a, is a Hebrew... L.K.: Are you Jewish? A.R.: ... the entire book. Uh, yes, partly. L.K.: Mother? A.R.: Great-grandmother. L.K.: O.k. That counts. Montezuma, Georgia, hello. Caller: Uh, yes. Uh, have-. Where did Lestat, where did you come up with Lestat? I'm just curious? Is he like your alter ego or-? A.R.: Yeah, he's he's like my bad self and my heroic self and my questing self. I tend to be very indecisive and brooding and full of despair and anxiety and angst and, and constant worry and he is the character that goes out and refuses to be knocked down by all of that, you know. He's me going forth and, and acting and doing things. L.K.: Where did you come up with his name? A.R.: Made it up. Made a mistake. You really want to know? There's an old Louisiana name, Lestin, and I misspelled it Lestat. And I think it was because my husbands name is Stan, and Lestat was based on my husband Stan. So I misspelled. Freudian slip? L.K.: What does your husband do? A.R.: My husband is a painter and a poet. My husband is a *fantastic* painter and poet. L.K.: You've been married along time, right? A.R.: Oh yeah, 34 years. L.K.: How many children? A.R.: We have one child. We lost one child many years ago. We have a beautiful 17-year old son. L.K.: What is life like at home-. Is his name Rice? A.R.: Yes. L.K.: At home with the Rices'. A.R.: Oh, life is a three ring circus! For one thing, there's 24 people working for us. So it's just like when you were a little kid and your aunts were all there and there were... L.K.: Do you work out of your house? A.R.: Yeah and I work right in my bedroom, right next to my bedroom, in my office and I've got *wonderful* secretaries and helpers and angels and, you know. L.K.: Near the French Quarter? A.R.: No, no. Garden District. Uptown. L.K.: Oh the Garden-. Oh, oh. A.R.: Yeah, yeah L.K.: Uptown. A.R.: Have to be, I have to be near those great big oak trees and those beautiful, old houses. I mean the French Quarter is wonderful too. Every little New Orleans girl wants to live in the French Quarter. L.K.: The Captain's Table, The Captain's... A.R.: The Commander's Palace L.K.: Commander's Palace A.R.: Yes, my characters always go there. L.K.: Fab (Bad?) restaurant. A.R.: They've got a fabulous restaurant. L.K.: London, England, hello. Caller: Hi Larry L.K.: Hi Caller: I wanted to ask the greatest (unintelligible) of her books is due to the richness of narrative and the symbolism. Does she feel that translates well onto film, like Interview with the Vampire. A.R.: Well, I think it's a hard thing, uh, to translate, I think it's a hard thing to translate into film. Um, I felt in Interview with the Vampire they did much, much better than I ever expected. I was astonished in how much of Louis', um, despair came through and how much of Lestat's conflicted character, things like this. Plus the beauty, the sensuality, the, just the damn good vampire movie part of it. But it is hard to translate. It's, it's Hollywood is very frightened. They're frightened about making, you know, movies where people ask long philosophical questions. And this is what my readers love. I mean they tell me this all the time. L.K.: Are your readers equal men and women. Do you know? A.R.: I can't tell you. I, I did a signing last night in Chicago. I couldn't honestly tell you. I would say equally. Yeah, it would have to be equal. I don't know. L.K.: Do a lot of these people dress strangely when they come to... A.R.: Yes they do. Which is one reason why it inspired me to dress up a little bit. Cause they would come looking so *wonderful* you know, in red velvet and... L.K.: Toledo, Ohio for Anne Rice, hello. Caller: Hi Anne! Um, I'm curious about a passage in Memnoch where Lestat drinks the blood of Christ on the way to the cross. A.R.: Mmm hmm Caller: Um, why do you find it necessary to include something so potentially offensive in your book? Oh, I love the book by the way (giggles). A.R.: Well frankly I don't see that as offensive when Lestat drinks the blood of Christ. I mean I grew up a Catholic, going to mass every morning and drinking the blood of Christ, in one form, myself. And at that point in the book, as you know, Christ is trying to persuade Lestat not to become one of Memnoch's henchmen. And, uh, he invites him to drink the blood. And to me it was a very, very *wrenching* scene to write. It was a confrontation with all my religious beliefs and values. L.K.: Is Memnoch a complicated person? A.R.: Memnoch? Yes, very complicated. L.K.: (unintelligible) A.R.: ... someone coming in asking for Knock knock the Devil the other day. L.K.: But Memnoch is, uh, complicated. A.R.: Very complicated, yes. I wanted to know how, how could the Devil be so stupid, you know, to just, just fall out of heaven, just insult God. What a dope, right? No, what if the Devil was an intelligent, thinking, changing entity? I mean, what if there was such a person. Well what would his argument with God be? L.K.: What do you think it was? A.R.: Well, in the book... L.K.: What do you think ticked him off? A.R.: Human suffering. That human suffering... L.K.: Oh, so the Devil got *mad* at human suffering. A.R.: Yeah, yeah. Imagine watching evolution from the beginning and then suddenly you get to these sentient beings that cry when one of them dies and are capable of kindness and making families and clans. *That's* exactly what ticks him off. And so that's part of what this novel is about. He doesn't believe- and God is, you know, taking the same position as he did in the book of Job. Where were you when I made the stars, you know? L.K.: We'll be back with our remaining moments with Anne Rice. Memnoch the Devil. Don't go away. (Commercial) L.K.: We're back with Anne Rice. This caller is from New Orleans. Hello Caller: Hi Anne. It's Camille your actress fan from New Orleans. A.R.: Hi! (laughs) Caller: Thanks for signing my book. Good luck in L.A. I'm only going there so I can be in The Witching Hour. Um... A.R.: Good luck in L.A. Right. Caller: Yeah. Uh, my question is, as a creative person *I* am going to need some destressing techniques when I get out there, you know having been spoiled by New Orleans for so long. What do you do to relax and to recharge? A.R.: Oh I have no answer to that at all. I live in a state of incredible tension, or I fall asleep... L.K.: You ever go to... A.R.: ...I worry, I'm full of anxiety... L.K.: You ever go to the Virgin Islands? A.R.: No. If I do I want a fax machine, and to call home... L.K.: Don't sit on the beach... A.R.: No, I can't. I've tried that. I have to have the fax, the phones, the cellular phone, be able to reach all different... L.K.: Are you always writing? A.R.: Oh just about, if I'm home or doing other things. I mean New Orleans is full of things like Mardi Gras. We had a *huge* Mardi Gras... L.K.: What do *you* do with Mardi Gras? A.R.: Well I have a house on St. Charles Ave. and, uh, we all gather there to watch all the parades. It was great fun... L.K.: You have a parade? A.R.: Yeah, well, they have parades that go right past. About 13 or 14. L.K.: Yeah but do *you* have a parade. A.R.: No I do not. No, but I was invited to be the, uh, literary muse of Orpheus. So you know... L.K.: Are you , uh... A.R.: ... I was happy about that. L.K.: ...Does New Orleans salute you? They're going to name a street after you while you're alive, at least? A.R.: They're very kind. L.K.: Well, you'll be alive forever, won't you Anne? A.R.: They're very kind to me and they've already given me an honorary tomb in St. Louis No. 2 Cemetery, so that's pretty good. L.K.: That's the cemetery where no-, below sea level, right? A.R.: Right. That's with all the big tombs above. L.K.: That's right. you-... A.R.: It's an honorary plot. You know, I have a lot of trouble getting in there, liter-. By the way, I already had my funeral. You knew this. L.K.: No A.R.: I started off, uh on the first day the book was out, I was put in a coffin and put in a glass hearse and had a jazz funeral. Which is, you know, everybody in New Orleans dreams of having a jazz funeral. I've had one!! And I was carried to the booksigning, an then the coffin was lifted out by 8 pall bearers, and then I got out in a wedding dress. And it was, it was wonderful! I absolutely loved it! It was, it was the most bizarre experience to be lying in that coffin, with my hands in proper, you know, position, and listening to that incredibly wonderful New Orleans jazz, blues, as these guys were playing. And they were real... L.K.: You don't think that's a little weird? A.R.: I think it's wonderfully weird! L.K.: What did your husband think? A.R.: I think he was horrified by the whole idea, but he actually went there and walked in the procession, as all my relatives did what you call second lining. L.K.: Hate to break it to you. He called Aetna. A.R.: (laughing) L.K.: Thanks Anne. Memnoch-. That's funny! We'll see you tomorrow night. Memnoch the Devil. Please buy this book the woman really needs sales. Good night. END