LOGICAL Love!

Armistead Maupin has been one of my favorite authors since I picked up Tales of the City 25 years ago. I’ve gone back to the Tales several times over the years and am never disappointed. It was such a pleasure to hear him talk about how some of the characters and plot lines evolved during the writing of these snapshots in time. And I loved hearing more about what shaped Armistead as a human being. I’m impatiently waiting on the edge of my seat for the release of the “Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” on NEtflix. I had the pleasure of taking a picture with Mr Maupin at a concert where one of his texts had been set to music, and was performed by Frederica von Stade. Unfortunately, that picture was swallowed up by a crashed computer. But, the next time he’s in Seattle, I’ll be the first in line to thank him for all the laughter and tears I’ve enjoyed from his body of work.

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Ends Abruptly

I've read all of Armistead Maupin's books over the years, enjoying some much more than others, finding some absolutely delightful, and some wildly uneven. This account of the author's life kept my attention, and introduced me to a side of his early life I could barely imagine given the difference in our ages, but it glosses over areas of his life I know about, relationships, and events, and then (worse) comes to an abrupt halt with an account of his last meeting with his father. It literally ended (with years and years uncovered) and then said "Epilogue," at which point Maupin read his famous coming out letter for Michael Toliver, and then an interview followed with Neil Gaiman.

What's the rush? I would have much preferred the author was thorough and didn't gloss over so much of his story, and all I can think is he and his publisher are leaving room for a followup.

I was satisfied with the content, but disappointed with the abrupt end to it, and overall I was left disappointed.

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Thank you for the title, Mr. Maupin

"Tales of the City" was the first series my now-husband and I watched together. Andee brought out the first few seasons, knowing that I'd love it. We bought the videos he didn't have, and watched them all. I started reading the books. Eleven years later, I've gotten the first two on audio CD to begin enjoying all over again.
I named my car Maddy after Mrs. Madrigal. I think I fell in love with Anna when she talked about logical families. Her edit of the word "biological" succinctly sums up the reality that DNA in and of itself doesn't necessarily make a family.
When I crossed paths with Armistead Maupin's autobiography, I pounced upon it.
Getting to know young Armistead, wishing I was his intimate and could call him Teddy, and travelling through his life with him, I wanted to be his friend, even finding myself jealous of his friends.
His narration and narrative bring the listener into his world. Often funny, sometimes sad, and always real, "Logical Family" shares many of the comings of age that Armistead Maupin has reached, passed, and surpassed. I didn't want the book to end for any reason other than wanting to share a review.
(And how cool is it that Neil Gaiman interviewed him at the end?)
His imagination, ways with words, winsome personality, and solid upbringing have made Armistead Maupin the man, and the writer, that he is. I enjoyed his own story as much as I do the stories he's told. I'm sorry that he didn't have the older mentor he wished he'd had, but am glad that men like him have mentored other men because that, my fellow readers, helps to make our world a more loving place.

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Life’s journey

I first encountered Armistead Maupin when he was signing books at a table between the stacks of a small bookstore called Different Drummer. At thirty years old, I had just moved from Kentucky to Seattle in June of 1979 to hopefully begin living life as an openly gay man. There was no crowd of people at the book signing, but being an awkward transplant, I only managed to grunt a hello and thank you as Armistead signed my book. I feel my awkwardness allowed me to miss a wonderful opportunity to talk with another young man also on his own journey. Logical Family is a delightful sharing of that journey. Thank you, Armistead.

Well written, like his novels.

I was the classic "Mary Ann Singleton" at the time Maupin was writing his Tales of the City daily column. In the early 1970's I was reading it every morning while riding the #41 Union bus from my Pacific Heights studio apartment to my administrative insurance job in the Embarcadero Center. I was raised in a similar background to Maupin on the East Coast. So I thoroughly related to his real life, and to his literary character, while reading this book. Like Mary Ann, I learned about gay life, pot, AIDS and more through his column, NOT experience. I enjoyed the honesty with which this book was written.

This book was everything.

A beautiful, open, funny and heart breaking book. Loved every minute of it - such a treat to hear Armistead Maupin tell his story.

Wonderful Story, Wonderful Author

I have read or listened to all of Mr. Maupin‘s books.
My first partner gave me Tails of The City, in the early 80s. I fell for him and his style.
I love the way he tells a story.
I just finished Logical Family.. And just want more. I don’t want the story to end.
This one made me cry, Laugh, and get chocked up. So many time I could See myself in his tale. It answered so many thing I wondered about in his series. Please do stop writing. I LOVE your work .
It made me realize he was front and center in making our lives better today than in the 70-80s
Thank You

Great memoir, so glad I met you Armistead

I read Logical Family for book group and had no idea who Armistead Maupin was... but now I’ll never forget him. Great writer, very interesting life, touching reflections throughout. I highly recommend listening to Armistead’s Reading of his memoir, ending with a great interview.

Personal, sad, funny, and insightful.

I was far more familiar with Armistead Maupin’s books than the man himself. I can no longer say that.

In his 72 and a half years the author packed a great deal of living into his life, and shares much of it with us in this book. For me the most fascinating part of the memoir is the transformation from what he started out to be, into what he eventually became. It, shall we say, was an uncommon journey.

His spent essentially the first third of his life trying to make his father proud of him. These years led him to work for ultra conservative causes, join the military, go to Vietnam, and become involved with a number of people, including Jesse Helms, that ultimately spent their lives fighting against, what Maupin would spend the remainder of his life fighting for...LGBT rights and causes.

He didn’t come out to his parents until he was 32. Both of his parents struggled with this knowledge, especially his father, and this leads to the title of the book....the Logical Family he found for himself in the Gay Community, vs the biological family he came from. But make no mistake...Maupin dearly loved his parents and his two grandmothers.

I think this memoir is for more than just us fans of his Tales in the City books. I think anyone who is the lone liberal in a family of conservatives, anyone who has lived in San Francisco, anyone interested in the evolution of Gay Culture, and anyone trying to break free of the world’s expectations of them and come into their own...this is a book for you.

Maupin makes me think a bit of Forest Gump...he was in so many pivotal places in history, and came into contact with so many iconic people....from Harvey Milk to Nixon, from Rock Hudson to Jesse Helms. He grew up in North Carolina, in the pre civil rights days, he’s lived in New York, and has been in San Francisco since the bathhouse days, through the AIDS crisis, all the way through now when wide spread gentrification has made it impossible for the quirky low income folk to live on the same block as the society folk as it was in the 1970s and as it was depicted in the Tales series.

He has seen eras, and so many people, come and go. And he tells the story of all this with his unique insight from having been on both sides of it...the conservative and the liberal.

At the end of the recording is an interview of the author by Neil Gaiman. It starts out really slow when Gaiman asks him questions that were already answered in the book. But Gaiman finds his footing and the conversation between the two writers becomes both quite interesting and quite touching.

A gem of a memoir

In the late 70's, I wanted nothing more than to move to San Francisco . Armistead Maupin's books gave me a familiarity with The City that eased the transition when I finally arrived in 1980.
Logical Family filled in some of the back story, and allowed me to relive some of my own early adventures.
Simply splendid on many levels!