Final Chapter for ‘Exorcist’ Author, 89

Author and noted Georgetown University alumnus William Peter Blatty died Jan. 12 at the age of 89. “The Exorcist,” on the other hand, will live forever — which means that Blatty will have achieved that status here on earth. But that’s been the case for a long time, ever since his horror novel, “The Exorcist,” appeared, telling the tale of a duel to the (literal) death with the devil’s demon, right here in Georgetown, as two priests fight for the soul of a young girl.

The 1973 movie “The Exorcist” also became a smash hit, noted for its then-shocking and now-dated special effects — head swiveling, green slime — and, locally, for the filming of the death of one of its characters falling down the stone staircase next to the Car Barn, steeping descending from Prospect Street to M Street. The Exorcist Steps are now an unholy shrine for visitors and locals alike.

A devout Roman Catholic of Lebanese descent, Blatty endured a difficult childhood. Raised by his mother (his father left home when Blatty was three), he went to Brooklyn Preparatory School on a scholarship, then attended Georgetown University, also on scholarship.

On the day before Halloween in 2015, Georgetown and Washington, D.C., observed a full-blown celebration of the Exorcist Steps, complete with the installation of a commemorative plaque at 36th Street and M Street. Crowded with fans and students, the event also welcomed “Exorcist” director William Friedkin, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council member Jack Evans, Georgetown University President John DeGioia and Blatty himself.