50 years of ‘Interview with the Vampire’

The landmark modern gothic novel, Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” turned 50 this year. There’s been a flurry of gatherings, talks, and panels this month from Pasadena (at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church), to New York (New York Comic Con, the Strand, The National Arts Club) with a culmination in New Orleans. The Krewe of Boo dedicated a special float at the Halloween Parade last Saturday, and a screening of the 1994 “Interview with the Vampire” movie (with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst) was held last Sunday. Tonight, there will be a special celebration at the 38th annual Anne Rice Vampire Ball and followed by a special book event at the Roussell Auditorium on Halloween. Often in the middle of this commemoration are authors Christopher Rice (Anne’s son), Leigh Bardugo and Eric Shaw Quinn. I had a celebration of my own chatting with Casey Copengco and Lynn Montejo of Anne Rice Philippines, about the first time they picked up a book from The Vampire Chronicles. Casey, who writes as CJ Edmunds, chanced upon “Interview with the Vampire” at the National Bookstore in Virra Mall in 1993. He recalls, “It was the blue Ballantine book with a plantation house on the cover, and...