Thanks for the great review of “Tapestry”! It’s taken some work to keep the book in print, more or less solidly, since 1981, and it’s always a pleasure to see it taken note of by someone who gets it, likes it, and is happy to tell the world about it.

As to why writers keep writing about vampires, the question is really about why readers want so much to keep reading about them. I’ve been asked by editors to write three short stories on dark themes over the past couple of years, and two out of three have specified vampirism as a theme — because publishers eagerly shell out money for anthologies that they *know* they can sell. As a writer, I always answer, “Maybe”, because I just might finally be as done with vamps as you feel right now; but if there *is* something still out there, an idea will pop into my head not long after, and away we go! If there is a ride, it’s always fun — just to see what *else* can possibly be done here that’s interesting enough to bother with, as writer or reader.

And let me add something about Harris’s series: what’s made those books interesting to me is the solid grounding of even the most fantastic characters in a keenly observed rural southern setting that’s unusual in this vein (oops) of literature. Harris knows, likes, and respects her characters, and that makes them refreshing to spend reading-time with.

I watch the TV series too, but I have to admit that for me, the cranking up of the sex-and-violence level is pretty annoying. Still watching, though, because I like Sookie, a young woman who clings to her southern manners (“always say whatever will make the people in the room the most comfortable”), and the code of ethics her gramma taught her, as she makes her way through an increasingly complex and cold-hearted world.