Anne Rice on Post-Katrina New Orleans

(CNN) -- Anne Rice's novels, including "Interview With the Vampire" and "The Queen of the Damned," are a stew of horror, overt eroticism and lush, atmospheric settings -- often located in her hometown of New Orleans.

But nothing can compare to the real-life misery being faced by the Crescent City and its residents today, she told CNN's Paula Zahn....