Interview with the queen of vampires

I tried and tried to come up with a nice vampire-related pun to use in this post title, but all the good ones have been taken. Anyway, great CT interview with Anne Rice on the topic of her much-discussed return to Christianity. All sorts of quotable bits in there. To single out a few that grabbed me:

"The Lord came looking for me," she remembers. "Everywhere I turned, I found images of the Lord and his love."

and

"I wasn't prepared for the cynicism or bias against Jesus in biblical scholarship," Rice says. "I didn't know about the rancor in scholastic circles. People have built entire careers on tearing the gospel to pieces. I wasn't prepared for the degree of acid and vitriol … credentialed scholars from universities saying there was no Virgin Birth or [Christ] never walked on water."

and

About her previous subjects, Rice says, "I would never go back, not even if they say, 'You will be financially ruined; you've got to write another vampire book.' I would say no. I have no choice. I would be a fool for all eternity to turn my back on God like that."

At the same time, Rice doesn't repudiate her earlier works, saying the books are a record of her journey. Readers tell her some of her early books pointed them back to faith, gave them courage, or helped them through grief. This book, Rice says, is for everyone. Rice says, "My attitude is, 'Let me put this in your hands—please. Just take a look at it. This is about Jesus. It's for you.' "

It's wonderful to hear Rice talking so openly and honestly about her faith. I'll confess that sometimes my reaction to "celebrity conversions" is less than charitable--I often wonder if they're just passing fads or whims without much substance. Seeing the obvious sincerity and commitment behind Rice's words makes me feel ashamed of that initial reaction. Anne Rice, it's great to have you along for the ride.