Phone Message Transcript: June 12, 1997
[appearing on Anne's fan phone line]

"Hi, this is Anne Rice. Thank you guys for calling about, when I was in the hospital. Everything worked out fine; it was nothing. It was just more research for writing about Michael Curry and the Mayfairs in the future, and witchcraft--because hospitals are just full of stuff that looks like witchcraft.

I want to tell you all that we did open our shop, The Anne Rice Collection. It's in The Rink on Washington and Prytania, and this is very much a creative endeavor for us. I know somebody is going to come along and say terrible things about it being commercial, but the truth is we're being just the opposite. We're selling items that we, that I've either picked out personally or even made, in some instances, personally, or designed personally, and it's a great deal of fun. We're doing the very opposite of selling our characters and our name to huge companies that would make stuff that we wouldn't be proud of. So I'm letting you know it's there. I think they open at 10:00 a.m., and it's in The Rink, which is at Washington and Prytania. And it's right by Britton Trice's book store, where I've had all my signings. So we're just having a wonderful time. And the beautiful drawing of Louis is coming in tomorrow from Patricia Hardin, so we should have pictures of Louis out soon and t-shirts. And then she's going to move on to Armand and then on to, I think, Deborah Mayfair, because people are requesting that we make shirts and totes with Deborah Mayfair on them, and Mayfair characters. Then I want to take a crack at Mona. It's so much fun having somebody as talented as Patricia Hardin draw for you what you really, you know, the way you see your own characters. It's really just quite, quite wonderful. I'm having a blast. And that's the end of the message.

Let me, indulge me in a fantasy for a moment. Let me pretend that I'm a Hollywood mogul. I'm a Hollywood mogul, and I've got billions of dollars, and I've got a plane and two studios, and I can make THE VAMPIRE LESTAT any way I want to make it. Well, this is how I'd do it. First thing I'd do is I'd get Randall Wallace to write and direct it. He's the man who wrote BRAVEHEART and is presently directing THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. And then I would get Leonardo DiCaprio to play Lestat, and I think he's so good, so fabulous,he could play him through all the movies. Then I would ask Johnny Depp to please play Armand. I know one of you called in and suggested this, and I'm really happy with that suggestion. Okay, Johnny Depp for Armand. Michelle Pfeiffer for Gabrielle, Lestat's mother, and then Jeremy Irons for Marius, the great Jeremy Irons. And then, of course, anybody else among the pantheon of wonderful actors
we have that would want to be in the movie, I would love to have, you know, the great, like, Gary Oldman. I would roll out the red carpet for him in any role, you know, whatever he wants to do. But anyway, that's my dream. It's fun to dream about it because nothing else is happening on it. You know, like the song goes by Tom Waits "you're innocent when you dream."

Oh, thanks, everybody, for calling about the GILBERT GRAPE movie. If you have not seen this movie, WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, you've got to see it. It is beyond great, and it's a stupid title for it, I don't think they should have done that with the title.

That's all I have to say. Oh, MEMNOCH came out in mass market. I didn't even know it was out. It suddenly shows up in the supermarket and they published a little portion of VIOLIN in the back, and I know they asked me, but I forgot. That's the wonderful thing about having a bad memory at my age. You keep getting these happy surprises because you forget that pleasant things are going to happen. Anyway, they put a small excerpt from VIOLIN, so there's a to that novel in there.

Okay, that's all my news. I just feel so, I don't know, mushy and grateful tonight to have so many readers who put up with my work and weirdness and who are interested in reading what I write. I'm really lucky, you know. In person
I be a pretty hard person to be around because I can start talking about medieval Russia non-stop and so people leave the room, but you guys, my readers, you read all the stuff that comes out of my mind, and I love you for it, and thank you very much.

Take care and leave me a one minute message. Tell me anything you want me to hear. Tell me what you think of my dream cast, Leonardo, Johnny Depp, think about it and tell me. And Jeremy Irons, man, just think about him as Marius.
That brilliant actor. Or Gary Oldman in there too. So many people. And Antonio, Antonio, we'll get Antonio in there. Antonio Banderas and Tim Holts. But, see what you think. Now, THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK is in production right now in Paris, and I'm really looking froward to that. I've mentioned it before. I think we're really going to see some terrific, rich, historical, romantic films in the next few years. Really fine stuff, and it's going to be great.

Okay, I'm going to sign off. Good night. Love you. Take care."