My Friend, My First LGBTQ Ally, Anne Rice, Has Died

I met Anne in the early 2000’s, as a young, budding writer. I remember her first website, back when the internet was still new and the potential of what it would become had yet to be realized. I recall my childhood friend, Jenny, taking me to the cinema to see Interview With The Vampire. She was madly in love with Brad Pitt, and I more indifferent than I’d like to admit. I remember how Neil Jordan’s film took me by surprise, riveted me, enchanted me. Only afterward did I learn the film was based on a book by Anne Rice, part of a decades old series that had a big following. After seeing the film, I wanted to read the book that gave it life.

On her old website, one which played baroque music on opening, Anne had listed her personal email address. In retrospect, I’m surprised at how bold I had been to fire off an email to a complete stranger. At the time, I had no idea how famous Anne was. I could never have comprehended the scale on which she was known around the world over, beloved even.

My email reflected my age and innocence. I cringe when thinking back. I enthusiastically declared my admiration for her novel and the beauty of the film. I rattled on about my own dreams of being a writer, how I found her descriptive language captivating and powerfully vivid. Although I was probably about 18 years old at the time, I told her how…