Janet's Reviews > Logical Family: A Memoir

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.