Anne Rice Sighting

Coincidentally, or not, Anne Rice held her first book signing in four years at the hotel we were staying at this weekend. It was a bit of a drag, however, because we were there for our son’s wedding, which overlapped with the signing. Had it not been, I would have purchased a copy of the author’s new book and had her sign it. Oh well. Passing in and out the lobby throughout the day, watching Ms. Rice and her fans, was rather revelatory.

Apparently, her new book, Angel Time, was not only written in The Mission Inn but most of the book’s action takes place there. (See THIS ARTICLE in the Riverside Press Enterprise for more on the signing and an interview with the author.) The MI really is a rich, historic locale. Wandering its halls and towers, one easily finds inspiration. But even more interesting than that this local landmark inspired the story, was the confluence of fans drawn to meet the author.

After days of spotty showers, the skies had finally opened to steady rain. But it didn’t seem to damper the draw. Every time I passed through the lobby, the line remained stretched onto sidewalk. Maybe a half dozen security surrounded the area, real FBI-types with black blazers, walkie talkies, and icy demeanor. But neither the weather or the bouncers could stifle the buzz of fans. Some wore shirts emblazoned with Lestat, others engaged in open discussions about the best Anne Rice novel. One woman lugged four bags of books which see was hoping to get signed. Four bags! Needless to say she was having a tense exchange with a security guy. Post-its were being handed out so fans could personalize their own autograph from the author and cameras flashed non-stop. Mind you, these were not teenagers clambering over the latest heartthrob. Which made it all the more, quite the deal.

Perhaps even more interesting to me is what effect Rice’s recent re-conversion may have had on her fan base. Her very public re-conversion to Catholicism has been well chronicled. She now frames her vampire novels as part of her own spiritual quest, from nihilism and a dysfunctional past, to faith.  Now embracing a biblical worldview, she has produced a spiritual memoir entitled Called Out of Darkness, two books about the early life of Chris,t and now a series centering on angels. You’d think that such a drastic shift would splinter her fan base, right? After having garnered devotees around dark characters and vampire mythos, wouldn’t Rice’s overt faith-based worldview divide her audience? By the looks of this crowd, it hadn’t. Goths and vampire wannabes stood right alongside cross-adorned fans in angel-decaled shirts. Anne Rice has amassed a fan base and, apparently, her worldview can do little to stifle that tide.

It left me wondering about the power of story, how fictional characters can niggle into our psyche, become part of the fabric of our world, and how one person can inspire / entertain / speak to so many people. So maybe being an author really is an infinitely big deal, huh?