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Logical Family: A Memoir
In this long-awaited memoir, the beloved author of the bestselling Tales of the City series chronicles his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San Francisco, and his evolution from curious youth to ground-breaking writer and gay rights pioneer.
Born in the mid-twentieth century and raised in the heart of conservative North Carolina, Armistead Maupin lost his virginity to another man "on the very spot where the first shots of the Civil War were fired." Realizing that the South was too small for him, this son of a traditional lawyer packed his earthly belongings into his Opel GT (including a beloved portrait of a Confederate ancestor), and took to the road in search of adventure. It was a journey that would lead him from a homoerotic Navy initiation ceremony in the jungles of Vietnam to that strangest of strange lands: San Francisco in the early 1970s.
Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his "logical family," the people he could call his own. "Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us," he writes. "We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives." From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century.
Maupin recalls his losses and life-changing experiences with humor and unflinching honesty, and brings to life flesh-and-blood characters as endearing and unforgettable as the vivid, fraught men and women who populate his enchanting novels. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of the man who depicted the liberation and evolution of America’s queer community over the last four decades with honesty and compassion—and inspired millions to claim their own lives.
Born in the mid-twentieth century and raised in the heart of conservative North Carolina, Armistead Maupin lost his virginity to another man "on the very spot where the first shots of the Civil War were fired." Realizing that the South was too small for him, this son of a traditional lawyer packed his earthly belongings into his Opel GT (including a beloved portrait of a Confederate ancestor), and took to the road in search of adventure. It was a journey that would lead him from a homoerotic Navy initiation ceremony in the jungles of Vietnam to that strangest of strange lands: San Francisco in the early 1970s.
Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his "logical family," the people he could call his own. "Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us," he writes. "We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives." From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century.
Maupin recalls his losses and life-changing experiences with humor and unflinching honesty, and brings to life flesh-and-blood characters as endearing and unforgettable as the vivid, fraught men and women who populate his enchanting novels. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of the man who depicted the liberation and evolution of America’s queer community over the last four decades with honesty and compassion—and inspired millions to claim their own lives.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
About the author
Armistead Maupin
85 books1,851 followersArmistead Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., in 1944 but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, he served as a naval officer in the Mediterranean and with the River Patrol Force in Vietnam.
Maupin worked as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in 1971. In 1976 he launched his groundbreaking Tales of the City serial in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maupin is the author of nine novels, including the six-volume Tales of the City series, Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener and, most recently, Michael Tolliver Lives. Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.
He is currently writing a musical version of Tales of the City with Jason Sellards (aka Jake Shears) and John Garden (aka JJ) of the disco and glam rock-inspired pop group Scissor Sisters. Tales will be directed by Jason Moore (Avenue Q and Shrek).
Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
Maupin worked as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in 1971. In 1976 he launched his groundbreaking Tales of the City serial in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maupin is the author of nine novels, including the six-volume Tales of the City series, Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener and, most recently, Michael Tolliver Lives. Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.
He is currently writing a musical version of Tales of the City with Jason Sellards (aka Jake Shears) and John Garden (aka JJ) of the disco and glam rock-inspired pop group Scissor Sisters. Tales will be directed by Jason Moore (Avenue Q and Shrek).
Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
October 22, 2017
3.5 Engaging memoir by this author, who was raised in the South by a father who was a raging racist and homophobe. Hiding his own sexuality caused much conflict within himself, and in trying to please his father he enrolled in law school, which he soon dropped out. Then he joined the service and was sent to Vietnam. Eventually he would find acceptance professionally with the serialization of Tales in the City. Personally he would form a logical family, those in whose company he felt accepted, including Rock Hudson.
For years he hid his sexual inclinations from his family but finally came out to his sister, who at the time told him his mother also knew, they did agree it was wiser, however, to not tell his father.
As he mentions, "Southern women keep secrets to protect their delicate men." I'm not Southern so don't know if that is true or not but I do believe most women everywhere do the same.
His writing is most natural, it flows so well. So much history, the sixties, the war, his career, and how his thoughts changed as he gained confidence in himself. Found this a most interesting memoir, and now a confession. I have never read this authors fiction but......I do intend to and to start with Tales of the City. I find that after reading memoirs or autobiographies of authors and I then read their novels, I have a different take, a keener insight into their work.
ARC from Edelweiss.
For years he hid his sexual inclinations from his family but finally came out to his sister, who at the time told him his mother also knew, they did agree it was wiser, however, to not tell his father.
As he mentions, "Southern women keep secrets to protect their delicate men." I'm not Southern so don't know if that is true or not but I do believe most women everywhere do the same.
His writing is most natural, it flows so well. So much history, the sixties, the war, his career, and how his thoughts changed as he gained confidence in himself. Found this a most interesting memoir, and now a confession. I have never read this authors fiction but......I do intend to and to start with Tales of the City. I find that after reading memoirs or autobiographies of authors and I then read their novels, I have a different take, a keener insight into their work.
ARC from Edelweiss.
December 28, 2017
I grew up in a small blue-collar Catholic town where there weren't exactly a lot of different models for how a person might choose to live his or her life. I somehow emerged from my (also Catholic) university a more progressive person than when I'd gone in, but I still couldn't conceive of a life beyond the get-random-job, get-married, have-kids, give-up-job-to-raise them paradigm I'd seen all around me growing up. Then I read Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, and I was enthralled. All these interesting characters! All these varied lives and lifestyles! All this time spent figuring things out instead of defaulting to what everyone else seems to be doing! It was so interesting, and so fun, and so endearing, and it made me fall in love with the 1970s San Francisco it portrayed. The Tales of the City books were formative for me, and I adored and devoured all six volumes, not to mention the three modern-day volumes Maupin wrote later. I also consider Maupin's insanely suspenseful and completely unputdownable stand-alone novel The Night Listener one of my all-time favorites. Avoid the movie version, but don't avoid the wonderful Tales of the City miniseries, of which there are three installments. There may even be a fourth coming soon, and as long as Paul Hopkins will be back to play Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, I will be totally on board. Oh, who am I kidding; I'll be totally on board either way. I love Armistead Maupin so much I can barely stand it sometimes.
So it was a major disappointment to find that I hated this memoir. Just kidding! Of course I totally loved it. If I had given it anything less than 4 stars, I would hope someone would call 911 on my behalf, because clearly something would be seriously wrong with me. If you read the Tales of the City books, you may feel you already know a lot about Armistead Maupin, but Logical Family will surprise you with how much else there is to know. As it turns out, Maupin did not crawl out of the San Francisco Bay fully formed, wearing tight Levis, a button-down plaid shirt, and the same seventies-tastic mustache he still sports to this day. He was raised in the South by a conservative father, and considered himself conservative until well into his twenties. He served in the Vietnam War! He considered becoming a lawyer for his father's firm! This was all fascinating, as was the story of his transition to an out gay man, writer of a popular daily series for the SF Chronicle, and social justice warrior. I'd always seen the Michael Tolliver character as Maupin's stand-in, but reading Logical Family made me realize how many of his characters represent parts of his past and personality, from the small-town naivete of Mary Ann Singleton to the worldly and mysterious Mrs. Madrigal, and everyone in between. I read most of this book in a state of unfettered joy, interrupted only once or twice by heartfelt weeping.
Logical Family has a lot to offer any reader, but I think it's best for people who are familiar with Maupin's past work. Without that background, you're going to miss a lot of the references. But this shouldn't serve as a deterrent for anyone. Rather, it should serve as the spark to acquaint yourself with Maupin's delightful Tales and the unique reading experience they offer.
If I had one complaint about this memoir, it could only be that I wanted more. As much as Maupin included in Logical Family, I'm sure there's a lot that he left out. So my next step will be to watch the recent documentary The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, which, as luck would have it, is showing on PBS on the evening of January 1. A better way to begin 2018 I cannot imagine. Happy New Year!
So it was a major disappointment to find that I hated this memoir. Just kidding! Of course I totally loved it. If I had given it anything less than 4 stars, I would hope someone would call 911 on my behalf, because clearly something would be seriously wrong with me. If you read the Tales of the City books, you may feel you already know a lot about Armistead Maupin, but Logical Family will surprise you with how much else there is to know. As it turns out, Maupin did not crawl out of the San Francisco Bay fully formed, wearing tight Levis, a button-down plaid shirt, and the same seventies-tastic mustache he still sports to this day. He was raised in the South by a conservative father, and considered himself conservative until well into his twenties. He served in the Vietnam War! He considered becoming a lawyer for his father's firm! This was all fascinating, as was the story of his transition to an out gay man, writer of a popular daily series for the SF Chronicle, and social justice warrior. I'd always seen the Michael Tolliver character as Maupin's stand-in, but reading Logical Family made me realize how many of his characters represent parts of his past and personality, from the small-town naivete of Mary Ann Singleton to the worldly and mysterious Mrs. Madrigal, and everyone in between. I read most of this book in a state of unfettered joy, interrupted only once or twice by heartfelt weeping.
Logical Family has a lot to offer any reader, but I think it's best for people who are familiar with Maupin's past work. Without that background, you're going to miss a lot of the references. But this shouldn't serve as a deterrent for anyone. Rather, it should serve as the spark to acquaint yourself with Maupin's delightful Tales and the unique reading experience they offer.
If I had one complaint about this memoir, it could only be that I wanted more. As much as Maupin included in Logical Family, I'm sure there's a lot that he left out. So my next step will be to watch the recent documentary The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, which, as luck would have it, is showing on PBS on the evening of January 1. A better way to begin 2018 I cannot imagine. Happy New Year!
July 8, 2017
Armistead Maupin, that gay southern boy with the very good manners, is the author of the "Tales of the City" series, as well as couple of standalone novels. In this memoir, "Logical Family", Maupin recounts his "families" - both birth and acquired - with beautiful writing and almost sublime graciousness. He's cautious in what he should reveal...and what not to. And, believe me, that ability can make or break a memoir.
"Logical Family" is the selected memories of a lifetime. He writes about his parents and two siblings and how he was raised in Raleigh, NC, the son of a lawyer and a...lady. He adored his mother and respected his father. Coming out to them was done over a lifetime - and in one very famous piece, written as "Michael Tolliver" - though Maupin thinks his mother always knew he was gay. But we don't talk about such things in prominent, conservative Republican families, whose grandparents and great grandparents on one side, fought for the South in the Civil War. On the other, he was a descendant of wealthy Brits who had emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. However, as Maupin investigates, much of the story - like all family stories - is not quite as it was portrayed in family lore.
Maupin also rites about his family of friends and lovers. He's candid about the people who have meant a lot to him in his life. One of things I enjoyed most about the book is Maupin's on-going recounting on his change from conservative-in-the-closet to liberal out-man. His life is both a personal and political journey, recounted beautifully in "Logical Family".
"Logical Family" is the selected memories of a lifetime. He writes about his parents and two siblings and how he was raised in Raleigh, NC, the son of a lawyer and a...lady. He adored his mother and respected his father. Coming out to them was done over a lifetime - and in one very famous piece, written as "Michael Tolliver" - though Maupin thinks his mother always knew he was gay. But we don't talk about such things in prominent, conservative Republican families, whose grandparents and great grandparents on one side, fought for the South in the Civil War. On the other, he was a descendant of wealthy Brits who had emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. However, as Maupin investigates, much of the story - like all family stories - is not quite as it was portrayed in family lore.
Maupin also rites about his family of friends and lovers. He's candid about the people who have meant a lot to him in his life. One of things I enjoyed most about the book is Maupin's on-going recounting on his change from conservative-in-the-closet to liberal out-man. His life is both a personal and political journey, recounted beautifully in "Logical Family".
September 23, 2017
This was good and in many places, quite touching. I'm glad I read it. I especially appreciated reading about his experiences being in the military during the Vietnam War. But I couldn't get past the cis male gaze whenever he referred to trans women (real or fictional). Deadnaming and inconsistent gendering, and using the trans experience as a plot device. Otherwise, a lovely and heartfelt memoir. 3 1/2 stars.
October 18, 2017
Easily my favorite book this year. He makes me laugh out loud. But, on the train home tonight, I was crying. Out loud.
Armistead Maupin is a national treasure. If you don't know his books, jump into "Tales of the City" - you have a great ride ahead.
Armistead Maupin is a national treasure. If you don't know his books, jump into "Tales of the City" - you have a great ride ahead.
July 1, 2024
I bought Logical Family: A Memoir by Armistead Maupin because I have fond memories of reading his series Tales Of The City in the San Francisco Chronicle many years ago, so the most compelling part of this memoir was when he moved to San Francisco and gave insight into the influences that helped create his groundbreaking series. I loved how he didn’t sound like he was name-dropping when he recounted his adventures with famous people so you could tell how real the relationships were. If you love Maupin as an author, you will learn a lot about him from this book! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
January 28, 2023
This was a delight to read. I have read everything Armistead Maupin has written and his memoir is the cherry on top. I highly recommend it to fans of the "Tales of the City" novels and/or memoirs.
April 8, 2018
A solid, well-written memoir, though I had expected less time spent on his conservative youth and more on his antics in San Francisco and the rise of AIDS. It felt kind of impersonal at times, like a very long speech. Friendships with famous people were also explained and (it felt like) defended in a lot of detail. Maybe this book was written in answer to criticisms and questions about parts of his life rather than something he wanted to do, since in a way the Tales of the City books and The Night Listener function pretty well as memoirs. Questions / statements like “Why did you pose for a photo with Richard Nixon?” “Did you really advocate for not desegregating schools?” “What’s this I hear about Jesse Helms?” “Hey, outing Rock Hudson when he was dying wasn’t cool.” “I think you were more an acolyte and groupie of Christopher Isherwood, not a real friend.”
All of this is explained, although he never renounced his work on the right wing side of things. Maybe we’re just meant to assume that of course he doesn’t think that way anymore, that was just to secure Daddy’s love, even though his only black character in “Tales” was so poorly written that in response to criticism he ended up making her be literally a white woman pretending to be black to score exotic modeling jobs.
Anyway.... I think all the Tales of the City books are fun and wonderful and I’m not meaning to sound overly critical here. The section regarding Harvey Milk’s death, which corresponded with a visit from Maupin’s father and dying mother, was beautiful and moving, and I imagine he felt with this book he was making peace with the two people who still ended up being the most influential of this life. Because despite its name, this memoir is far more about Maupin’s actual biological family than the family he made for himself.
All of this is explained, although he never renounced his work on the right wing side of things. Maybe we’re just meant to assume that of course he doesn’t think that way anymore, that was just to secure Daddy’s love, even though his only black character in “Tales” was so poorly written that in response to criticism he ended up making her be literally a white woman pretending to be black to score exotic modeling jobs.
Anyway.... I think all the Tales of the City books are fun and wonderful and I’m not meaning to sound overly critical here. The section regarding Harvey Milk’s death, which corresponded with a visit from Maupin’s father and dying mother, was beautiful and moving, and I imagine he felt with this book he was making peace with the two people who still ended up being the most influential of this life. Because despite its name, this memoir is far more about Maupin’s actual biological family than the family he made for himself.
July 31, 2017
Many straight Americans first learned of the San Francisco gay scene in the 1980's from “Tales of the City”, either the novel, based on a San Francisco Chronicle daily newspaper serial, or the television mini-series. Armistad Maupin, the right writer was in the right place at the right time, as a participant and observer of San Francisco gay life during the crucial period which included the beginning of AIDS and the murder of Harvey Milk. He managed to weave true events, such as the Florida/Anita Bryant discrimination proposal, into the story, so that his fictional characters' experiences mirrored the experience of many gay men of the period, including their dilemma about “coming out”. The character Michael's coming-out "Letter to Mama", sent in response to learning his parents are supporting the discriminatory proposal, is included in the book as an "Afterword".
Here, Armistad Maupin tells his own story, having to distance himself from a racist, homophobic Southern community, and trying, with heartbreakingly limited success, to remain in contact with his biological family. His second and probably more logical family becomes the San Francisco gay community, and he has quite a few stories to tell about various gay icons whom he befriended during his journey. Maupin urged others, including that famous movie star, to “come out” for their own emotional health and also for the health of the community.
Maupin demonstrated in his many books that he knows how to engage the reader when he tells the story of invented characters. He does the same with his own.
Here, Armistad Maupin tells his own story, having to distance himself from a racist, homophobic Southern community, and trying, with heartbreakingly limited success, to remain in contact with his biological family. His second and probably more logical family becomes the San Francisco gay community, and he has quite a few stories to tell about various gay icons whom he befriended during his journey. Maupin urged others, including that famous movie star, to “come out” for their own emotional health and also for the health of the community.
Maupin demonstrated in his many books that he knows how to engage the reader when he tells the story of invented characters. He does the same with his own.
October 25, 2017
Maupin's personal life is just as fascinating as his fictional one. This memoir is filled with hilarious stories about his childhood, his time in the Navy, and his life in San Francisco. There are poignant moments that show how his conservative stances in his early life were equal parts a plea for his father's love and a strategy to keep him safe in the closet. Throughout, the mood stays light and touching, with plenty of entertaining anecdotes — exactly what we've come to expect from Maupin.
If you liked this, make sure to follow me on Goodreads for more reviews!
If you liked this, make sure to follow me on Goodreads for more reviews!
January 17, 2022
Interesting memoir that may have been improved if I knew of Maupin before reading. He led an interesting life. Growing up in North Carolina with the weight of the confederacy and being part of the proper Southern family. Maupin in attempt to impress his very conservative Republican father also espoused right wing rhetoric and way of living working well under the likes of Jesse Helms. When writing wasn't quite working, Maupin joined the Navy as an officer which eventually took him to Vietnam. After the war, he gave writing another trip and ended up getting a position with the AP in San Francisco and finally found his home as a gay man. From being so far in the closet, Maupin ended up being so out of the closet and being an early advocate for gay rights and supporting others to no longer hide. He also wrote a very well liked serial in the paper which brought of issues of gender and sexuality. The first half of book was strong and coherent. The second half while still good writing was less coherent and more of a ramble following the opportunities to name drop. I would have loved to hear more about his advocacy instead.
October 7, 2017
Just saw a documentary about the author, so when I saw this book, I bought I immediately. Turns out, he told a good many of these stories in the film, and I read in the acknowledgment that these were stories told onstage before they were put in this book. But I am glad to have the book, because I may not see the doc again, but I can always re-read the book. And despite the fact that these are not all happy memories (whose memories are all happy?), I can imagine re-reading the book with pleasure. He's just the kind of storyteller whose stories are worthy of repeated "visits," whether on the page, or in a film or TV production. [Note: Someone please hurry up and make a movie of "Mary Ann in Autumn" starring Laura Linney, for goodness sake!]
If you are already a fan, I'm sure you will read and enjoy this. Even if you are not already a fan, this is a really good read, highly recommended.
If you are already a fan, I'm sure you will read and enjoy this. Even if you are not already a fan, this is a really good read, highly recommended.
October 23, 2017
This memoir is hit and miss. Some of the chapterscreally resonated with me and some didn't. Maupin can tell a story and he shines when writing about his family or his inspiration for Tales of the City. I found his Navy recollections my least favorite. There is some famous names peppered throughout-- Jesse Helms, Rock Hudson, Christopher Isherwood, Harvey Milk--and I like Maupin the activist. I met him at a reading in San Francisco before I had read any of his work, finding him charming and witty. I devoured his work after that reading and found his story telling fun and addictive.
April 3, 2019
Fantastic memoir from the author of Tales of the City. Maupin is an icon in the gay community, specifically in San Francisco in the 70s & 80s. I was surprised to learn that he spent the first 25 or so years of his life as a republican in the south. His “life” did not begin for some time. The journey from there to here was an interesting one, as were the tales of his own city life. He is incredibly funny and sentimental and his writing is wonderful. There was a bit too much covering his military years for me, otherwise I’d have rated it 5 stars. He is unforgettable.
March 11, 2018
Armistead Maupin has had a life crammed with events, so it might seem odd that Logical Family is a relatively slim volume. This is a man who goes into a lot of detail about many things, but is also comfortable at letting the years slip past. Logical Family is a satisfying but also elusive work.
Logical Family is a memoir that devotes itself largely to the formative years of its author and very little to the time that Maupin found his groove and success. Whether this is the fact that he feels that his later years have been covered through his fiction and general interviews or he’s gearing up for a Logical Family 2 is uncertain. Still, what Maupin chooses to take into account has a depth to it that cannot be underestimated, and more than a few affecting passages.
Despite the name - which tends to refer to the families that we choose for ourselves, rather than those we are born into - Maupin focuses on his relations with his parents who, despite their differences of opinion born of a very different time, ultimately supported him in their own ways*. Maupin speaks of the past as if it were a different country, albeit one with a continuity to now. It would have been nice to know more of his siblings - a sister gets a look in as a supporter, a brother as an arch conservative separated by an ideological chasm - but the portraits that Maupin paints of his progenitors and his grandmothers are lasting.
Logical Family is intensely personal and yet we learn very little about Maupin’s relationship with his husband, or much of anything that has happened since the eighties. What this book lacks makes for some frustrating dead ends, but that which it does offer tends towards the rich and sweet.
*Strange to say this of his father, whose biggest regret was that he wasn’t alive to fight for the South in the Civil War.
Logical Family is a memoir that devotes itself largely to the formative years of its author and very little to the time that Maupin found his groove and success. Whether this is the fact that he feels that his later years have been covered through his fiction and general interviews or he’s gearing up for a Logical Family 2 is uncertain. Still, what Maupin chooses to take into account has a depth to it that cannot be underestimated, and more than a few affecting passages.
Despite the name - which tends to refer to the families that we choose for ourselves, rather than those we are born into - Maupin focuses on his relations with his parents who, despite their differences of opinion born of a very different time, ultimately supported him in their own ways*. Maupin speaks of the past as if it were a different country, albeit one with a continuity to now. It would have been nice to know more of his siblings - a sister gets a look in as a supporter, a brother as an arch conservative separated by an ideological chasm - but the portraits that Maupin paints of his progenitors and his grandmothers are lasting.
Logical Family is intensely personal and yet we learn very little about Maupin’s relationship with his husband, or much of anything that has happened since the eighties. What this book lacks makes for some frustrating dead ends, but that which it does offer tends towards the rich and sweet.
*Strange to say this of his father, whose biggest regret was that he wasn’t alive to fight for the South in the Civil War.
July 3, 2019
I LOVE The Tales of the City. I love how trashy, and hilarious, and loving they are. I love their sometimes ridiculousness. I was so sad when I finished reading them. Now with the reboot of the TV show, I have found myself thinking a lot about the characters from the Tales of the City and wondering what came from real life.
The answer is much of it. Armistead Maupin has lived a very interesting life. His parents were old school, homophobic, bigoted conservatives who referred to their family house as "built by the slaves in our family." Armistead joined the Navy, fought in VietNam, and worked for Jesse Helms. He is also very gay.
He found his chosen family, his "Logical Family," - one of the best coined terms and concepts I have encountered - in San Francisco. He was lovers with Rock Hudson, and friends with Ian McKellan. He had influence in surprising places. He reveals a lot of the origins from some of his characters and plot devices, and I bet he would be an absolute blast to have a beer with.
I really enjoyed this one.
The answer is much of it. Armistead Maupin has lived a very interesting life. His parents were old school, homophobic, bigoted conservatives who referred to their family house as "built by the slaves in our family." Armistead joined the Navy, fought in VietNam, and worked for Jesse Helms. He is also very gay.
He found his chosen family, his "Logical Family," - one of the best coined terms and concepts I have encountered - in San Francisco. He was lovers with Rock Hudson, and friends with Ian McKellan. He had influence in surprising places. He reveals a lot of the origins from some of his characters and plot devices, and I bet he would be an absolute blast to have a beer with.
I really enjoyed this one.
October 14, 2017
It may not be 5 stars for everyone else, but if you love Armistead Maupin (like I do) I don't know how you can't love this book. I had no idea Armistead came from such a conservative background and learned so much and found the last few chapters quite touching.
August 23, 2019
A must read for Tales of the City fans
December 4, 2022
Beautifully written — tender but forthright, and with that deft lightness of touch which makes the Tales of the City series so immensely readable and re-readable and re-re-readable.
August 17, 2019
Definitely one of the best autobiographies I’ve read. Touching, funny and enthralling. Highly recommended.
March 27, 2018
It is always good to spend time with Armistead Maupin, he is a witty, compassionate and an entertaining writer. I would call myself a fan because I've read all the Tales of City books, his two novels and even the biography of him by Patrick Gale - plus I've seen him talk and got two books signed. Actually that sounds like a super fan!
So why wasn't I bowled over by his autobiography? The first problem is that Maupin has drawn heavily on his own life in the Tales series - even the least autobiographical book 'Maybe the Moon' was based on a friend of his - so we've heard most of the stories before (and in greater depth). The second problem is that the stories in the biography have been polished and polished again by going on a speaking tour. He has kept what audiences liked and laughed at and dropped the rest. But I read biographies to meet the writer not a carefully honed persona. Thirdly, it might be in his genes and his upbringing to hold back. He repeatedly tells us that Southern women- like his mother and grandmothers - keep secrets to 'protect' their men and it seems Southern gays are no different. It seems strange, because Maupin was 'out' when nobody else was and encouraged others (like Rock Hudoson and Ian McKellan) to come out but today he is very reluctant to upset people. So he soft pedals on his conflicts with his father and brother and we learn NOTHING about his marriage. Strange for a biography of someone who tales are all about the search for love. It would be fascinating to learn something about his experience of the destination too.
There is one other disappointment. Many years ago, Maupin wrote about the difference between biological family (that you are born into) and the family you chose - which he calls logical family. By calling his biography 'Logical Family', I would have thought that he'd have told us more about the concept and about the people who make up HIS logical family. My favourite section was about the writer Christopher Isherwood who became his gay grandfather. We hear about his friendships with Ian McKellan and Laura Linney but nothing much about his less famous logical family members. Worse still, he covers the death of his little gay brother Steve Beery in a few lines and we get one sentence about his long term partner Terry Anderson leaving him.
So if you enjoy reading Maupin, you'll delight in finding more about the inspiration for his famous characters and how the tales series came about. If you want to meet the man behind the tales, you won't find him here.
So why wasn't I bowled over by his autobiography? The first problem is that Maupin has drawn heavily on his own life in the Tales series - even the least autobiographical book 'Maybe the Moon' was based on a friend of his - so we've heard most of the stories before (and in greater depth). The second problem is that the stories in the biography have been polished and polished again by going on a speaking tour. He has kept what audiences liked and laughed at and dropped the rest. But I read biographies to meet the writer not a carefully honed persona. Thirdly, it might be in his genes and his upbringing to hold back. He repeatedly tells us that Southern women- like his mother and grandmothers - keep secrets to 'protect' their men and it seems Southern gays are no different. It seems strange, because Maupin was 'out' when nobody else was and encouraged others (like Rock Hudoson and Ian McKellan) to come out but today he is very reluctant to upset people. So he soft pedals on his conflicts with his father and brother and we learn NOTHING about his marriage. Strange for a biography of someone who tales are all about the search for love. It would be fascinating to learn something about his experience of the destination too.
There is one other disappointment. Many years ago, Maupin wrote about the difference between biological family (that you are born into) and the family you chose - which he calls logical family. By calling his biography 'Logical Family', I would have thought that he'd have told us more about the concept and about the people who make up HIS logical family. My favourite section was about the writer Christopher Isherwood who became his gay grandfather. We hear about his friendships with Ian McKellan and Laura Linney but nothing much about his less famous logical family members. Worse still, he covers the death of his little gay brother Steve Beery in a few lines and we get one sentence about his long term partner Terry Anderson leaving him.
So if you enjoy reading Maupin, you'll delight in finding more about the inspiration for his famous characters and how the tales series came about. If you want to meet the man behind the tales, you won't find him here.
September 10, 2017
Many thanks to my colleague Linda for picking up an ARC of Armistead Maupin's memoir, Logical Family: A Memoir. I've been a huge Maupin fan my entire adult life having discovered Tales way back in college and following Armistead through all 9 books in the magical series as well as loving The Night Listener and especially Maybe the Moon. I own all three book adaptations on DVD and look forward to the next incarnation which has been hinted about on Maupin's blog.
So I came to the memoir with mountains of excitement. Truthfully, I found the beginning dragged for me. It might be the fact that I couldn't wait to get to the San Francisco part. By midway in the book, he arrives, and for me that's when the book begins to take off. The last third of the book has that magical feel his fiction creates for me. I even cried openly during two passages.
I was hoping he would speak more about his relationships - especially Terry and Chris. Perhaps there is another memoir in his future or perhaps even for this man who loves to weave personal experience with his fiction, there might be some things he's keeping to himself.
4 out of 5 for my most anticipated book of the season.
So I came to the memoir with mountains of excitement. Truthfully, I found the beginning dragged for me. It might be the fact that I couldn't wait to get to the San Francisco part. By midway in the book, he arrives, and for me that's when the book begins to take off. The last third of the book has that magical feel his fiction creates for me. I even cried openly during two passages.
I was hoping he would speak more about his relationships - especially Terry and Chris. Perhaps there is another memoir in his future or perhaps even for this man who loves to weave personal experience with his fiction, there might be some things he's keeping to himself.
4 out of 5 for my most anticipated book of the season.
October 28, 2017
Armistead Maupin can do no wrong in my eyes. I have read the 'Tales of the City' books multiple times and I am pretty sure I've read all the others too. While I was late to the 'Tales' game -- probably early 1990s and around the airing of the first PBS miniseries -- Maupin's works were an important piece of my own journey of self-acceptance and coming out, which only "ended" (spoiler alert: coming out never really ends) three years back when I become part of a dual-husband household.
Needless to say, this memoir is a gem to 'Tales' fans. It was fun to see how the characters and story lines rose from Maupin's personal experiences and learn of what was going on behind the scenes as the serial was published in a San Francisco newspaper. It was also interesting to learn of Maupin's very conservative Southern roots. But as you can see, the review is "only" 4 stars and I will admit I didn't quite connect the chapters on Maupin's service in Vietnam and I selfishly wanted to learn more of his relationships and particularly now-husband, all of which are not given all that much print space. Also, the chapter on Rock Hudson seemed a bit name-droppy and a bit uncomfortable, but still the type of juicy gossip folks often long for and expect in a memoir -- but on the flip side, it provided yet another thinly veiled inspiration for a 'Tales' subplot.
Still a must read for Maupin fans. Oh, and a nice touch including 'Letter to Mama' as the epilogue - Maupin's coming out letter from his 'Tales' counterpart Michael Tolliver - which continues to slay me to this day.
Needless to say, this memoir is a gem to 'Tales' fans. It was fun to see how the characters and story lines rose from Maupin's personal experiences and learn of what was going on behind the scenes as the serial was published in a San Francisco newspaper. It was also interesting to learn of Maupin's very conservative Southern roots. But as you can see, the review is "only" 4 stars and I will admit I didn't quite connect the chapters on Maupin's service in Vietnam and I selfishly wanted to learn more of his relationships and particularly now-husband, all of which are not given all that much print space. Also, the chapter on Rock Hudson seemed a bit name-droppy and a bit uncomfortable, but still the type of juicy gossip folks often long for and expect in a memoir -- but on the flip side, it provided yet another thinly veiled inspiration for a 'Tales' subplot.
Still a must read for Maupin fans. Oh, and a nice touch including 'Letter to Mama' as the epilogue - Maupin's coming out letter from his 'Tales' counterpart Michael Tolliver - which continues to slay me to this day.
December 30, 2019
Armistead is the fairy godfather I never had. This wonderfully honest book had me laughing, grinning and weeping, and wanting to read 'Tales of the City' all over again. A must-read for every gay boy who needs queer wisdom in his life, the kernel being that we only truly flourish when we are our most authentic selves. I devoured this far too quickly and will need to pick it up again as soon as my husband has finished it, and he better finish it quick.
[Re-read a year later - still just as good!]
[Re-read a year later - still just as good!]
April 14, 2018
This compulsively readable book details Maupin's evolution from the dutiful scion of a toxically uptight and revoltingly rightwing Southern family to fun-loving, gay, liberal San Franciscan. It also includes plenty of funny stories, celebrity gossip, fascinating history, and charming observations about life and love.
January 2, 2018
I loved this book with all my heart. I loved the glimpses into the inspirations for Tales of the City. I loved the fearless way Maupin examines his past. I loved the stories both new and fresh. So great. I barely put it down for a minute.
July 12, 2023
really nice and touching memoir, of course his writing is always so easy and comforting to me. some neat glimpses into queer history, funny and absurd and tragic-but-hopeful anecdotes of 70s-80s san francisco. Fascinating to learn the origins of Tales of the City, once an 800-word serial in the daily newspaper, and to learn how each character was drawn to life.
super interesting to learn about his time serving in vietnam and his strange life as a young southern conservative. overall, though, he mostly recounts memories of family, those assigned by lineage as well as those brought together by logic and fate. the book could have been longer to fill in some gaps and to let me indulge in his stories a little bit longer, but it's a complete work as is. I don't really have the words to describe what else i feel about it, but i recommend this to everyone.
so happy to have spotted it at the library book sale, i snatched it so fast
super interesting to learn about his time serving in vietnam and his strange life as a young southern conservative. overall, though, he mostly recounts memories of family, those assigned by lineage as well as those brought together by logic and fate. the book could have been longer to fill in some gaps and to let me indulge in his stories a little bit longer, but it's a complete work as is. I don't really have the words to describe what else i feel about it, but i recommend this to everyone.
so happy to have spotted it at the library book sale, i snatched it so fast
October 22, 2017
As memórias de Armistead Maupin, o autor da série de livros Tales of The City, que já vai em nove volumes. Trata-se de um livro extremamente pessoal, no qual o autor expõe-se a si e à sua família, mas trata-se igualmente de um testemunho de um dos pioneiros, nos anos 70 e 80, de algumas das mais importantes lutas pelo reconhecimento dos direitos dos gays e pelo reconhecimento da SIDA como um grave problema de saúde pública que precisava da atenção urgente as autoridades. Maupin fez parte da geração que inventou a palavra 'activismo' no que toca à comunidade LGBT.
O estilo de Maupin é inconfundível, para quem conhece e aprecia o autor. Vocabulário simples mas rico e imaginativo, um sentido de humor muito irónico mas ao mesmo tempo carinhoso, uma capacidade incrível de dar vida a situações e personagens.
O estilo de Maupin é inconfundível, para quem conhece e aprecia o autor. Vocabulário simples mas rico e imaginativo, um sentido de humor muito irónico mas ao mesmo tempo carinhoso, uma capacidade incrível de dar vida a situações e personagens.
September 29, 2019
When this book popped up in my Public Library suggestions for next reads the title caught my eye "Logical Family." Once I read the little blurp I hit the check out button on the audiobook and away I went. I had already fallen in love with the story of Tales of the City from the little glimpses I've gotten from the show, and now I've fallen in love with the author. Sharing his life from repressive southern town to war to finding a home and people who loved ALL of him. Armistean Maupin's cander and storytelling style is beautifully paced as he shares tears and laughs with readers providing a detailed and sometimes emotional glimpse of life as a gay man in the rapidly changing culture of the last 70ish years. I truly can't wait to get ahold of his novels.
May 28, 2024
"I remember thinking at that moment: This is how it should be. This is how the camaraderie of queers can span generations, offering solace between young and old, bonding is through friendship and sex and art. And not just among the living. Chris was part of a lineage that reached back through Forster and Maugham to Wilde and Whitman and Carpenter and every unknown soldier and working-class roughneck who had ever rolled in the hay with them. I found this genealogy far more appealing than the one I had been taught to revere in North Carolina, that bone-dry roster of long-gone planters and generals with their broodmare wives standing invisibly in the background. Here, at last, was ancestor worship with hot blood in its veins."
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