Most prominent Washington stories are political or historic — no surprise given its role as the capital city. But one of the most iconic horror tales of all time is set in D.C. as well: “The Exorcist,” which has been creeping people out for more than 50 years. Author William Peter Blatty set his novel in Georgetown, and director William Friedkin insisted on filming it on location.
Louis Bayard, a Washington-based writer and author of “The Pale Blue Eye,” spoke about the city and neighborhood as a character, as well as the particulars of horror as a genre, in a recent episode of Roll Call’s Political Theater podcast.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
