We're celebrating our 40th anniversary with monthly dives into our archives. This look back is from our December 1994 issue.
December 1994
Twenty-five years ago, we featured writer Patricia Cornwell on the cover of our December 1994 issue. In an “exclusive interview,” Cornwell talked about dealing with sudden fame after her first book, “Postmortem,” was released in 1990, became a bestseller, won numerous awards and catapulted her into the international spotlight.
“It happened really fast,” she said. “ ‘Postmortem’ came out, and eight months later I was living in Windsor Farms and driving a Mercedes.” She shared the challenges of dealing with fame and writing about violent crimes.
Cornwell wrote “Postmortem,” a forensic thriller, while working in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond. By the time of our 1994 interview, the prolific writer had published six bestsellers in the Kay Scarpetta series, ushering in a fascination with forensic science in popular culture, and she was splitting time among homes in Richmond, Los Angeles and New York.
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Our December 1994 interview with author Patricia Cornwell
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Cornwell today (Photo by Patrick Ecclesine)
Today, Cornwell has written more than 40 books. Her latest, “Quantum,” was published in October, and it explores the worlds of cybercrime and NASA. Nicole Cohen, our special projects editor, recently talked with Cornwell about the book — which she originally intended to be a film — and about the two decades she lived in Richmond. Though Cornwell no longer has a home here, she says, “I sneak in and out more than people might think. I still have friends there. Richmond is a hugely important place to me. I mean, I actually lived in Richmond longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere — I lived there 20 years. And the most important thing is, really, Richmond is where my career began.” To read the rest of the interview, visit richmondmag.com/cornwell.
