Leaving New Orleans For The Suburbs

The author is moving, and New Orleans, her hometown, is aghast. It is not so much her decision to relocate as her destination — a decidedly unhaunted, gated community in the suburbs — that explains why this is seen as more than a real estate deal here. It is seen as something of an affront to civic identity and sensibility, even by her own son... Because her fiction often takes place in the nonfictional streets of New Orleans, she is more than a literary figure here. For nearly 30 years, she and her city have been each other's muse... Rice readily acknowledges that she will have a difficult time weaving the suburbs into her next novels, which is why many here are surprised that she is moving."