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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 2007)
I E.BRUARY 2, 200/ books Life Goes On Armistead Maupin revisits an endearing character from Tales of the City by George Winborn hat do you say to a gay icon? Should you feel like you’re on a first date, all nervous-tummied and cotton-mouthed? family for 30 years, and yet they’re still back in Florida organizing for George W. Bush and the defense of marriage. [One of the main] ideas of the book is where his true interests lie.” Michael Tolliver Lives revisits one of Maupin’s These questions were running favorite characters from Tales of the City. Michael, through our head as we prepared to interview or “Mouse” as he’s called, is now a 55-year-old HIV acclaimed novelist, librettist and screenwriter positive gardener living in San Francisco with his Armistead Maupin for a tête-à-tête about his new considerably younger partner. novel, Michael Tolliver Lives. As in all of Maupin’s work, he mines his own But in the end, we walked away as charmed by life for material. In the beginning it was people at his lilting Southern accent in person as we’ve been cocktail parties auditioning for his Tales column by his writing on the page. Here we bring you a col whose stories would sometimes appear make it into lection of his humorous and insightful bons mots the storyline. For Michael Tolliver Lives, Maupin on life, love and what it means to be a “good old says he wrote it “in response to all the people in the gay person.” past who would say it was a good thing I hadn’t continued writing Tales, because Michael would be aupin is best known for his acclaimed series of dead by now. One day 1 looked around at all the novels Tales of the City. Beginning in 1970s people who weren’t dead, and realized that all these San Francisco, Tales follows the lives of the people had made a very valiant effort to remain denizens of 28 Barbary Lane, a little apartment alive for a very long time. I thought that was building on Russian Hill. From its inception as a worthy of celebration and examination." groundbreaking serial in The San Francisco Such as examining what it means to age grace Chronicle to six novels, a miniseries on PBS and fully. When asked about what it means to be a Showtime, a musical and film adaptations, Tales “good old gay person,” Maupin laughs: “I hope I’m has entertained generations of readers with its heading in the direction of being a good old gay portrayal of San Francisco life during the heyday of person! 1 think it means being the best version of gay liberation. 62 1 can be, not lamenting that I’m not 35. There Part of Tales’ appeal lies with Maupin’s endear is some wisdom that comes with age if you’ve been ing group of characters, including kimono-wearing, listening at all to the universe. pot-smoking landlady Anna Madrigal; frolicking “I think of something Michael once said, to gay romantic Michael Tolliver; and a collection of Mary Ann 1 believe, ‘1 don’t want to be an old bit straights, gays and some in-betweens. All these ter queen.’ 1 was conscious 30 years ago that I want stories are told through the eyes of the naive ed my heart to remain light and curious.... We have Midwestern narrator, Mary Ann Singleton. At to make that resolution early and keep to it.” Tales follows the lives times wildly funny and of at its others deeply poignant, characters through countless transitions, from late ’70s bathhouse culture to the onset of the AIDS crisis. Maupin manages to enter tain the reader while com menting on the times. This ability has won him compar isons to Charles Dickens. For years, readers and critics alike have lauded Maupin for his ability to create an inclusive view of the gay community in his work. “From the beginning, I resolved to create a tapestry large enough to encompass all of humanity," Maupin has said. He told Just Out: “It’s all too easy for us to get comfy in the ghetto and think of ourselves as liberated with out having confronted the major issues of our life, including our family mem bers. This is one of the issues which arises in Michael Tolliver Lives. Michael has Armistead Maupin mines his own life for writing material. been out of the closet to his W Celebrate with your Sweetheart On Valentines (Day 2007 at Darcefte XV Showplace! (Delicious (prime (Rjb (Dinner e£ Delightful Cabaret Show Only $29.95per couple! (No Cover Charge) ,p Wednesday, February 14, 2007 (Dinner 7pm - Show 8:30pm (Darceffe XV Showplace 208 MV 3rd Jive. (Reserve today by calling 503-222-5338 M CHRISTOPHER TURNER 40 JU S tout
