an almost-sequel to the Tales of the City book series- Page 2

Posted: 3/10/07 at 5:07pm

she was fantastic on OLTL!!!
she was a villain, & she would go back & forth between hiLARious & scary!

that was a really great era of OLTL; it seemed to be all written by & for gay men.

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 5:08pm

I love the drawing.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 9:47pm

I liked the way he referenced characters from "Tales" in his other two novels. The main character of "Maybe the Moon" mentions how her gay best friend moved in with his boyfriend who ran a plant nursery in San Francisco and the assistant of the main character in "The Night Listener" was DeDe's daughter.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/10/07 at 10:16pm

At a book signing for Maybe the Moon I mentioned how cool it was to see the Ned reference and Armistead's eyes widened and he said, "Thank you for noticing."

It was the night of the '89 earthquake.

[mattonstage]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 3:56am

I've been praying for the last three (four now) films, but I guess it's just a pipe dream. I was looking forward to Olympia in Greece in the last book, because she goes after Michael Dukakis runs for President. They could have had Mrs. Madrigal watching herself on TV stumping for her cousin.

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 1:29pm

Paul Hopkins definitely grew on me as Mouse. There was something about D'Amico that was so...vulnerable. Maybe it was the shouting matches between him and Maupin about his frequent trips to the baths whilst claiming all the time he was straight.

No one, however, could replace Chloe Webb's Mona. Sheer perfection.

Posted: 3/11/07 at 1:31pm

the first MOUSE was cute, but the second was a better actor & i cared about him more.

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/11/07 at 2:04pm

No one, however, could replace Chloe Webb's Mona. Sheer perfection.

Word. The series itself was just so well-cast. Nary a misstep in the bunch, even with the secondary roles.

I preferred the first Brian to the second Brian, though.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 12:38am

Chloe Webb perfectly embodied Mona. I DEVOURED this entire series while I was in college. I think it's the only time I've ever had out-loud verbal reactions to a book---gasping, crying "Oh NO!" and "Oh my God!" at all the plot twists and revelations. The characters were so REAL to me.

"Maybe it was the shouting matches between him and Maupin about his frequent trips to the baths whilst claiming all the time he was straight." RobbieJ---can you elaborate??

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:26am

& Jackie Burroughs as MOTHER MUCCA was a revelation!!!

[DG]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:07am

As much as I would have liked to exhibit the control of some of my brethren, I tore through this new book like a madman. After hearing the opening lines last year, I new I would have no choice.

Being just a few years younger than Mr. Maupin, his work has always been for me what we in the community talk about needing constantly – a voice of mentorship. A way of passing on knowledge and awareness. The Greeks had it right so many centuries ago, and we gave it up as we succumbed to the . . . well, an alternative path.

And here I am, eighteen years later, married to a man that actually is Armistead’s age, reading his latest treatise.

A friend from here that I admire and respect described this work privately to me as “breezy” – and that is exactly the right word! I feel as if he picked me up like a feather on a light breeze, and after we watched our shared history flow beneath us, he deposited me in our present saying, “Here. It – and you – are safe. Just like always.”

I’ll be in San Francisco this weekend during Pride. And if he’s in town, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to give him another hug and say, “Thank you.”

[DG]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 11:33pm

Just one little *bump*, for I am still aglow.

And unfortuanately, Mr. Maupin appears to be signing in DC this weekend, so no San Francisco sighting for me.

Although, Elph should be happy by Monday

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 11:35pm

I'm beginning Chapter 20 tonight, it has taken restraint.

[DG]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 11:38pm

As much as I enjoy restraint, it just wasn't possible in this case.

edit - was NOT possible - was NOT.
Updated On: 6/20/07 at 11:38 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 11:46pm

I'm on chapter 14, but I've only been allowing myself to read it on the L on my way home from work, otherwise I would have finished it the day I bought. I'm enjoying it, but it's weird to have these characters in the present day and equally weird to have the story told in first person.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/21/07 at 12:15am

But I think it's the way to do it. Since I read in an interview recently that he's going to continue with the Tales of the City characters, maybe he'll tell a different story from somebody else's point of view.

[DG]

Posted: 6/21/07 at 12:19am

I honestly had a difficult time not picturing Armistead as Michael - and he had never been that before. But he sure was throughout this one - for me, at least.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/21/07 at 9:53am

Whoops, I didn't mean to imply that Maupin said it might be another character narrating, that was just something that came up in my nutty brain.

DG, I too was seeing Armistead through this book. A funny thing is that I read the first six books before there was a mini-series and from about book four on I was picturing Mrs. Madrigal as a sort of "Trip to Bountiful" era Geraldine Page. Now I just see Olympia Dukakis. I wonder if Armisted "sees" her now, since I remember him saying as he finished book six that in a dream Anna came and sat on his bed and tugged his toe and said, "So you're leaving us, huh?"

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 6/21/07 at 1:38pm

I'm halfway done. I am pretty much reading only on my bus to and from work. And I hate it when I get to my last stop.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 2:09pm

Like a wonderful visit from an old friend, I tore thru this sublime novel and relished every page. It was nice to catch up with Mouse, hear what's been happening with him, and get the low-down on mutual acquaintances. But as is too often the case, there just wasn't enough time to gossip about everybody and everything.... so I just hope I don't have to wait that long until our next reunion.

Thank you, Armistead!