Showing posts with label Maupin Appearance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maupin Appearance. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Teatime with Armistead Maupin
Teatime with Armistead Maupin
Date/Time: 7/20/12 4:00 pm
Location: Paramount, 247 Commercial St.
A lively afternoon with the author - featuring an early sneak preview of the next novel in his legendary "Tales of the City" series.
Ticketholders to TEATIME WITH ARMISTEAD MAUPIN can expect an afternoon of free-wheeling anecdotes and lively conversation with the audience – as well as a reading from Maupin’s current work-in-progress, The Days of Anna Madrigal. The author’s books will be available for purchase and signing.
http://www.onlyatthecrown.com/events/event.php?id=1224
Armistead Maupin Speaks In P-Town
Posted by Joe My God
Today I attended Tea With Armistead Maupin, where the famed author entertained a standing-room only crowd with anecdotes from the history of his legendary Tales Of The City series. One highlight was his reading of a chapter from the upcoming The Days Of Anna Madrigal, which traces the history of one of his most beloved characters. The following Q&A from the rabid fanboys (and fangirls) could have gone on forever as questioner after questioner grilled Maupin about myriad aspects of the series. Leaving a lot of dangling hands in the air, the crowd then moved outside to the Crown & Anchor's pool deck where Maupin's hubby (and BearCentral.com owner) Chris Turner handled the crowd clamoring for signed books. A great afternoon.
See Joe My God for pictures of the event
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/07/armistead-maupin-speaks-in-p-town.html
Today I attended Tea With Armistead Maupin, where the famed author entertained a standing-room only crowd with anecdotes from the history of his legendary Tales Of The City series. One highlight was his reading of a chapter from the upcoming The Days Of Anna Madrigal, which traces the history of one of his most beloved characters. The following Q&A from the rabid fanboys (and fangirls) could have gone on forever as questioner after questioner grilled Maupin about myriad aspects of the series. Leaving a lot of dangling hands in the air, the crowd then moved outside to the Crown & Anchor's pool deck where Maupin's hubby (and BearCentral.com owner) Chris Turner handled the crowd clamoring for signed books. A great afternoon.
See Joe My God for pictures of the event
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/07/armistead-maupin-speaks-in-p-town.html
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Like Rose Water and Lysol, An Evening With Armistead Maupin is Breathtaking
by Tony Hobday in Arts News
Having been in the esteemed company of author Armistead Maupin, for a short two hours, on June 23, I left with the sensation of actually having been at a party at 28 Barbary Lane. Housed in an airy gallery located in the 15th and 15th district, Maupin stood over a crowd of 100 or so adoring fans like the gay alter ego of Jesus, the white-washed walls illuminating him, and read from the second chapter in the ninth volume of his ‘Tales of the City’ series, titled The Days of Anna Madrigal – the final book he irresolutely stated, summoning a few dubious chuckles from the audience.
Two decades ago, Maupin believed, after six books, the series had reached its culmination. “When I left the series in 1989, (the character of) Michael Tolliver was found to be HIV positive – at that time it was pretty much a death sentence. I didn’t want the series to end with which ‘the gay man dies,’ because that was the scenario with so many books, so many movies, year to year to year,” he pointed out. “I wanted Michael to sort of be a beacon of hope. I wanted to leave the series with him living his life, consuming it and being strong.”
Come 2007, Michael Tolliver Lives — however, the book received much criticism. This seventh book was initially written as a stand-alone from the series, according to Maupin; hence the backlash on the author for having written MTL in first-person narrative, unlike all previous incarnations of Tales. Maupin simply explained to the audience, “I wrote MTL in first person because I really wanted to celebrate my generation of gay men. I don’t regret it.”
Then, in 2010, came Mary Ann in Autumn; the eighth installment, in which we find an embittered Mary Ann returning to San Francisco seeking solace from Michael. “Who really is Mary Ann,” asked a fan, hinting to the nonfictional basis of the character, “and what did she do to piss you off so bad?” Maupin replied with an observation about himself made by a friend: “I think that Michael Tolliver is the person you wish you were, and Mary Ann Singleton is the person you’re afraid you are.”
An astonishing cliffhanger in Mary Ann in Autumn, seemingly puts the ex-residents of 28 Barbary Lane on a precipice. Set among present day San Francisco and 1936 Winnemucca, Nev., The Days of Anna Madrigal, will open many more windows into the beloved character, from her younger years in a brothel to the ripe old age of 92.
“We just came from Winnemucca, by the way,” Maupin opened the evening, referring to himself, his husband Christopher and their dog Philo, who’s named after Philo T. Farnsworth. They were there researching for the book a place called “The Line” – an area of Winnemucca lined with whorehouses, he said. (Decades ago it consisted of five brothels in a row, and of which only two remain today.) He told of the uses of Lysol and rose water, “Lysol was sold as a feminine hygiene product in the 1930s and 40s. It was also believed to prevent pregnancy.” He also suggested to the audience, with scads of enthusiasm, to google “1930’s whorehouse menu.” Which I did and wished I hadn’t.
Maupin’s stop in Salt Lake City was the first in a national tour called the Madrigal Mystery Tour, and which will eventually drop off Maupin and his family to settle in Santa Fe, N.M., via The Burning Man, he said, uprising a roar of laughter from the crowd. The announcement prompted more anecdotes – he reflected on a dinner party he attended and was seated next to “Shirl” (Shirley MacLaine), “… she said (to me) ‘I’m trying to figure out who your gorgeous husband reminds me of.’ So I had to sit there and play the guessing game with her and she finally said, ‘Christian Bale, Christian Bale!’ I said Christian Bale’s an asshole! And she said ‘No, he’s an actor.’” She then preceded to tell me that it was very important to move off the coast because something terrible was going to be happening very soon. And I asked which coast and she said ‘any coast.’”
“So I told this story to Olympia (Dukakis),” Maupin continued, “and Olympia said ‘I’m 82 fucking years old, I don’t have time for the apocalypse!’”
Olympia, whom as it became readily apparent that Maupin holds in the highest of regard, was (and is) Anna Madrigal. Olympia played the part of the pot-smoking landlady of 28 Barbary Lane in the 1993 miniseries of Tales. “Oly, she went out and hired a transgender consultant for her role,” Maupin told us, “and talked to this women about why she did it and how difficult was it and what emotional journey did she make. She asked ‘why would you go through this process, given that you know how hard it would be to live in this society as that person?’ And she (the consultant) said, ‘all my life, I’ve wanted a friendship with women.’”
Following the reading and spirited conversation copies of the first two chapters of The Days of Anna Madrigal were put on auction: “Who’s going to help me with the auction, I’ve never sold myself before,” Maupin joked. Auctioned off at $325 per chapter, with the total of $650 plus a percentage of the ticket proceeds benefiting the Trevor Project, the evening ended in great success.
Two days prior to Maupin’s visit to Salt Lake City, he was presented with San Francisco’s Silver Cable Car Award. The San Francisco Travel Association, each year, honors an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to San Francisco’s visitor industry.
“Through newspapers, books, films and the stage, Armistead Maupin has introduced people around the world to a place that is as unique as the person reading about it. In his descriptions of people and places, he imparts a sense of acceptance and tolerance that lets the reader know that all are welcome here,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel, during the ceremony. “It’s no wonder that so many people say they knew they wanted to visit – or even live – in San Francisco after reading his books.”
In Maupin’s acceptance he said, “I’m so happy to have this opportunity to stand here and thank you, all of you, and this city for giving me my life, for giving me my story, for allowing me to be me, allowing me to find who I was, and for continuing to do that. That’s scornfully referred to as ‘San Francisco values’ in other parts of the country. Here it’s something we’re proud of and you can see it here in this amazing amalgamation of gay and straight and ‘traveling,’ as I refer to it. I’m just so grateful to you San Francisco, thank you so much. I will always, always consider myself a San Franciscan, no matter where I am. San Francisco made me a citizen of the world. And I’ve learned this from people who read my books. Even people who don’t come here love it for the same reasons that those of us who live here love it. And that’s why it’s so magical. I’ve very honored. Thank you very much.”
The Days of Anna Madrigal is scheduled to be published in 2013.
http://gaysaltlake.com/2012/07/05/like-rose-water-and-lysol-an-evening-with-armistead-maupin-is-breathtaking/
Having been in the esteemed company of author Armistead Maupin, for a short two hours, on June 23, I left with the sensation of actually having been at a party at 28 Barbary Lane. Housed in an airy gallery located in the 15th and 15th district, Maupin stood over a crowd of 100 or so adoring fans like the gay alter ego of Jesus, the white-washed walls illuminating him, and read from the second chapter in the ninth volume of his ‘Tales of the City’ series, titled The Days of Anna Madrigal – the final book he irresolutely stated, summoning a few dubious chuckles from the audience.
Two decades ago, Maupin believed, after six books, the series had reached its culmination. “When I left the series in 1989, (the character of) Michael Tolliver was found to be HIV positive – at that time it was pretty much a death sentence. I didn’t want the series to end with which ‘the gay man dies,’ because that was the scenario with so many books, so many movies, year to year to year,” he pointed out. “I wanted Michael to sort of be a beacon of hope. I wanted to leave the series with him living his life, consuming it and being strong.”
Come 2007, Michael Tolliver Lives — however, the book received much criticism. This seventh book was initially written as a stand-alone from the series, according to Maupin; hence the backlash on the author for having written MTL in first-person narrative, unlike all previous incarnations of Tales. Maupin simply explained to the audience, “I wrote MTL in first person because I really wanted to celebrate my generation of gay men. I don’t regret it.”
Then, in 2010, came Mary Ann in Autumn; the eighth installment, in which we find an embittered Mary Ann returning to San Francisco seeking solace from Michael. “Who really is Mary Ann,” asked a fan, hinting to the nonfictional basis of the character, “and what did she do to piss you off so bad?” Maupin replied with an observation about himself made by a friend: “I think that Michael Tolliver is the person you wish you were, and Mary Ann Singleton is the person you’re afraid you are.”
An astonishing cliffhanger in Mary Ann in Autumn, seemingly puts the ex-residents of 28 Barbary Lane on a precipice. Set among present day San Francisco and 1936 Winnemucca, Nev., The Days of Anna Madrigal, will open many more windows into the beloved character, from her younger years in a brothel to the ripe old age of 92.
“We just came from Winnemucca, by the way,” Maupin opened the evening, referring to himself, his husband Christopher and their dog Philo, who’s named after Philo T. Farnsworth. They were there researching for the book a place called “The Line” – an area of Winnemucca lined with whorehouses, he said. (Decades ago it consisted of five brothels in a row, and of which only two remain today.) He told of the uses of Lysol and rose water, “Lysol was sold as a feminine hygiene product in the 1930s and 40s. It was also believed to prevent pregnancy.” He also suggested to the audience, with scads of enthusiasm, to google “1930’s whorehouse menu.” Which I did and wished I hadn’t.
Maupin’s stop in Salt Lake City was the first in a national tour called the Madrigal Mystery Tour, and which will eventually drop off Maupin and his family to settle in Santa Fe, N.M., via The Burning Man, he said, uprising a roar of laughter from the crowd. The announcement prompted more anecdotes – he reflected on a dinner party he attended and was seated next to “Shirl” (Shirley MacLaine), “… she said (to me) ‘I’m trying to figure out who your gorgeous husband reminds me of.’ So I had to sit there and play the guessing game with her and she finally said, ‘Christian Bale, Christian Bale!’ I said Christian Bale’s an asshole! And she said ‘No, he’s an actor.’” She then preceded to tell me that it was very important to move off the coast because something terrible was going to be happening very soon. And I asked which coast and she said ‘any coast.’”
“So I told this story to Olympia (Dukakis),” Maupin continued, “and Olympia said ‘I’m 82 fucking years old, I don’t have time for the apocalypse!’”
Olympia, whom as it became readily apparent that Maupin holds in the highest of regard, was (and is) Anna Madrigal. Olympia played the part of the pot-smoking landlady of 28 Barbary Lane in the 1993 miniseries of Tales. “Oly, she went out and hired a transgender consultant for her role,” Maupin told us, “and talked to this women about why she did it and how difficult was it and what emotional journey did she make. She asked ‘why would you go through this process, given that you know how hard it would be to live in this society as that person?’ And she (the consultant) said, ‘all my life, I’ve wanted a friendship with women.’”
Following the reading and spirited conversation copies of the first two chapters of The Days of Anna Madrigal were put on auction: “Who’s going to help me with the auction, I’ve never sold myself before,” Maupin joked. Auctioned off at $325 per chapter, with the total of $650 plus a percentage of the ticket proceeds benefiting the Trevor Project, the evening ended in great success.
Two days prior to Maupin’s visit to Salt Lake City, he was presented with San Francisco’s Silver Cable Car Award. The San Francisco Travel Association, each year, honors an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to San Francisco’s visitor industry.
“Through newspapers, books, films and the stage, Armistead Maupin has introduced people around the world to a place that is as unique as the person reading about it. In his descriptions of people and places, he imparts a sense of acceptance and tolerance that lets the reader know that all are welcome here,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel, during the ceremony. “It’s no wonder that so many people say they knew they wanted to visit – or even live – in San Francisco after reading his books.”
In Maupin’s acceptance he said, “I’m so happy to have this opportunity to stand here and thank you, all of you, and this city for giving me my life, for giving me my story, for allowing me to be me, allowing me to find who I was, and for continuing to do that. That’s scornfully referred to as ‘San Francisco values’ in other parts of the country. Here it’s something we’re proud of and you can see it here in this amazing amalgamation of gay and straight and ‘traveling,’ as I refer to it. I’m just so grateful to you San Francisco, thank you so much. I will always, always consider myself a San Franciscan, no matter where I am. San Francisco made me a citizen of the world. And I’ve learned this from people who read my books. Even people who don’t come here love it for the same reasons that those of us who live here love it. And that’s why it’s so magical. I’ve very honored. Thank you very much.”
The Days of Anna Madrigal is scheduled to be published in 2013.
http://gaysaltlake.com/2012/07/05/like-rose-water-and-lysol-an-evening-with-armistead-maupin-is-breathtaking/
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Author of famed "Tales of the City" series to visit Salt Lake
by Tony Hobday
It’s almost inconceivable that a man of 68 years, born and raised in a conservative Christian family, and whom he says was once a typical conservative and segregationist (of the time) – having been mentored by, and hobnobbed with, Jesse Helms – could today be considered a pioneer in bringing homosexuality into mainstream literature and, in contrast, gay activism. Author Armistead Maupin, a fine and benevolent storyteller, will be in Salt Lake City, June 23, to read and discuss the next chapter in the Tales of the City series, The Days of Anna Madrigal.
It wasn’t until Maupin was close to 30 years old that he decided to come out as a gay man, and during that same period he began writing a serial column for a San Francisco newspaper that eventually blossomed into a series of novels involving a mishmash of colorful and unforgettable characters, both gay and straight, living in San Francisco. Over the following 35 years, Maupin’s books have been translated into several languages, and today there are over six million copies in print.
Maupin, a veteran naval officer, is married and lives in San Francisco with is husband Christopher and their dog Phillo. You can find Maupin on Facebook, and for more info visit armisteadmaupin.com.
Armistead Maupin will be at the King’s English Bookshop, June 23, 7 p.m. to read from his new novel and speak to his LGBT activism, life and work. Tickets are $25, with percentage of the proceeds benefiting The Trevor Project. Tickets are available at kingsenglish.com.
http://gaysaltlake.com/2012/06/18/author-of-famed-tales-of-the-city-series-to-visit-salt-lake/
It’s almost inconceivable that a man of 68 years, born and raised in a conservative Christian family, and whom he says was once a typical conservative and segregationist (of the time) – having been mentored by, and hobnobbed with, Jesse Helms – could today be considered a pioneer in bringing homosexuality into mainstream literature and, in contrast, gay activism. Author Armistead Maupin, a fine and benevolent storyteller, will be in Salt Lake City, June 23, to read and discuss the next chapter in the Tales of the City series, The Days of Anna Madrigal.
It wasn’t until Maupin was close to 30 years old that he decided to come out as a gay man, and during that same period he began writing a serial column for a San Francisco newspaper that eventually blossomed into a series of novels involving a mishmash of colorful and unforgettable characters, both gay and straight, living in San Francisco. Over the following 35 years, Maupin’s books have been translated into several languages, and today there are over six million copies in print.
Maupin, a veteran naval officer, is married and lives in San Francisco with is husband Christopher and their dog Phillo. You can find Maupin on Facebook, and for more info visit armisteadmaupin.com.
Armistead Maupin will be at the King’s English Bookshop, June 23, 7 p.m. to read from his new novel and speak to his LGBT activism, life and work. Tickets are $25, with percentage of the proceeds benefiting The Trevor Project. Tickets are available at kingsenglish.com.
http://gaysaltlake.com/2012/06/18/author-of-famed-tales-of-the-city-series-to-visit-salt-lake/
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Armistead Maupin: Pen Pals lecture series
Salman Rushdie, who spent nine years in hiding after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him for publication of "The Satanic Verses," will headline the next season of the Pen Pals lecture series. Other guests include mystery writer Dennis Lehane, New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, Minnesota native Alice Kaplan, who has written a number of books about France, and "Tales of the City" author Armistead Maupin.
All lectures will take place at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Main St., Hopkins. Cost for the series -- a fundraiser for the Friends of Hennepin County Library -- is $160. Cost for individual tickets is $40. Subscription tickets go on sale Monday by phone (612-543-8112) and online at www.supporthclib.org. Individual tickets will go on sale June 25. Here's the lineup:
• Salman Rushdie, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and 11 a.m. Oct. 19. Rushdie is the author of 11 novels, three works of nonfiction, a collection of stories and an upcoming memoir, "Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie," which will be published in September. The cost of his Pen Pals appearance includes a copy of the book.
• Alice Kaplan, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 and 11 a.m. Nov. 30. She was born in Minnesota and is a professor of French at Yale University. She is the author, most recently, of the biography "Dreaming in French: The Paris Years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis."
• Roz Chast, 7:30 p.m. March 14, 2013, and 11 a.m. March 15, 2013. She is a staff cartoonist at the New Yorker magazine, where she has published more than 1,000 cartoons.
• Dennis Lehane, 7:30 p.m. April 11, 2013, and 11 a.m. April 12, 2013. He is the author of "Shutter Island," "Gone, Baby, Gone" and "Mystic River," all of which were New York Times bestsellers and were made into movies.
• Armistead Maupin, 7:30 p.m. May 16, 2013, and 11 a.m. May 17, 2013. Maupin's "Tales of the City" began as a column in the San Francisco Chronicle and grew into a series of bestselling novels, a TV miniseries and a musical.
LAURIE HERTZEL
JLO + ENRIQUE: Jennifer Lopez, the actress-fashion designer who has used "American Idol" to reignite her music career, will perform Aug. 1 at Target Center with Enrique Iglesias, the voice of such smashes as "I Like It" and "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You). This will be JLo's first prominent performance in the Twin Cities. Opening will be the Wisin Y Yandel, the hit-making reggaeton duo from Puerto Rico. Tickets, priced from $29.50 to $129.50, will go on sale at noon May 18 at Ticketmaster outlets and Target Center box office.
JON BREAM
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/151037805.html
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Crown & Anchor Appearance
Author Armistead Maupin will make his first public appearance in Provincetown at the Crown & Anchor's Paramount Nightclub. Maupin's iconic Tales of the City series has blazed a trail through popular culture – from a series of globally bestselling novels, to a Peabody Award-winning television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney, to a musical that premiered last year at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater. Maupin's most recent Tales novel, Mary Ann in Autumn, was published to international acclaim in 2010.
Ticketholders to TEATIME WITH ARMISTEAD MAUPIN can expect an afternoon of free-wheeling anecdotes and lively conversation with the audience – as well as a reading from Maupin's current work-in-progress, The Days of Anna Madrigal. The author's books will be available for purchase and signing.
The after party at the Wave Video Bar (open to non-ticketholders) is sponsored by Bear Central, a new social site created by Maupin's husband, web developer Chris Turner. "This time it's a total family affair," says Maupin. "We can't think of a better way to kick off our summer."
"Tales of the City (is) perhaps the most sublime piece of popular literature America has ever produced... As with the Beatles, everyone seems to like Maupin’s Tales – and, really, why would you want to find someone who didn't?"
– Laura Miller, Salon
"To quote the inestimable Quentin Crisp (upon introducing a friend), 'This is Mr. Maupin, he invented San Francisco.' Not just San Francisco either. For millions of fans around the world Armistead Maupin might as well have invented gay culture.
-Out Magazine
http://www.onlyatthecrown.com/entertainment/performer.php?id=83
Monday, March 5, 2012
Armistead Maupin, Sister Roma to Host Gay Night at the Wax Museum Benefit
The evening will feature performances by Donna Sachet, Jason Brock, Bebe Sweetbriar, and Xavier Toscano as well as a dance party in the Chamber of Horrors, open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and a champagne greeting.
REAF raises funds for AIDS service provider agencies, primarily in the SF Bay Area, and Rainbow World Fund is an international humanitarian service agency based in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.
For more information and tickets to Gay Night at the Wax Museum, click here.
http://www.theatermania.com/san-francisco/news/02-2012/armistead-maupin-sister-roma-to-host-gay-night-at-_51027.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Armistead Maupin at Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Central Library
There’s no shortage of festivities to go along with this year’s Pridefest, and this appearance by Armistead Maupin, author of the famous Tales of the City series, is just the cherry on the top. Take a moment away from the dancing, singing and celebrating to pop by the library for Maupin’s free talk about his latest novel, Mary Ann in Autumn. Also, show your love by embracing some of the other Seattle PrideFest events as well—www.seattlepridefest.com should fill you in on the details—and Maupin will also be the Seattle PrideFest keynote speaker at the Seattle Center on the 26th.
Saturday, 3 p.m. // Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Library // Free
http://seattlest.com/2011/06/20/this_week_in_lit_7.php
Saturday, 3 p.m. // Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Public Library // Free
http://seattlest.com/2011/06/20/this_week_in_lit_7.php
Monday, June 6, 2011
Armistead Maupin reads from 'Mary Ann in Autumn' at The Seattle Public Library June 25
The Seattle Public Library and PrideFest welcome author Armistead Maupin for a reading of his latest book, "Mary Ann in Autumn," and a conversation on the world of "Tales of the City" from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium.
The program is free and open to the public. Free advance tickets are required. Limit of two tickets per person. Tickets are available beginning Wednesday, June 1 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/. Limited parking is available in the Central Library garage at the $6 weekend rate. Seating is not guaranteed after 2:45 p.m.
"Mary Ann in Autumn" is the eighth book in the "Tales of the City" series.
Three television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three "Tales" books. Maupin has also written "Maybe the Moon," "The Night Listener" and "Michael Tolliver Lives." He lives in San Francisco with his husband.
This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and Seattle PrideFest and presented in partnership with The Elliott Bay Book Co. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information, call The Seattle Public Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.
For more information contact:
Andra Addison, communications director
206-386-4103
http://www.spl.lib.wa.us/about-the-library/library-news-releases/armistead-maupin-625
The program is free and open to the public. Free advance tickets are required. Limit of two tickets per person. Tickets are available beginning Wednesday, June 1 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/. Limited parking is available in the Central Library garage at the $6 weekend rate. Seating is not guaranteed after 2:45 p.m.
"Mary Ann in Autumn" is the eighth book in the "Tales of the City" series.
Three television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three "Tales" books. Maupin has also written "Maybe the Moon," "The Night Listener" and "Michael Tolliver Lives." He lives in San Francisco with his husband.
This event is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and Seattle PrideFest and presented in partnership with The Elliott Bay Book Co. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information, call The Seattle Public Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.
For more information contact:
Andra Addison, communications director
206-386-4103
http://www.spl.lib.wa.us/about-the-library/library-news-releases/armistead-maupin-625
Monday, May 16, 2011
What Armistead Maupin Gave San Francisco in Tales of the City
By Oscar Raymundo, Fri., May 13 2011 @ 12:00PM
Armistead Maupin got teary-eyed Thursday night.
It was right before stepping into the Swedish American Hall, where he'd be the extra special guest at his own literary tribute, Thoroughly Modern Maupin, happening less than a week before the premiere of the musical adaptation of his groundbreaking saga Tales of the City.
"I get such terrible allergies around this time of year," said Maupin, who turns 67 today.
San Francisco's cool uncle is endearing but never sappy.
The event was sponsored by the American Conservatory Theater and Litquake to rally excitement (and sell some last-minute tickets) for the original musical based on Maupin's novels premiering May 18. The event brought together some of the city's most eccentric authors and performers - emerging icons in their own right - in honor of the man who has without doubt influenced them all.
Emcee Marga Gomez recalled reading the original Tales columns in the San Francisco Chronicle and then years later rediscovering them in book form, "because I was so high the first time around." Author K.M. Soehnlein read an original story about a friendship between two gay men who are separated by the so-called "fly-over" states. "Acid Christmas" depicts getting high not only as an urban trip inside a spaceship as it's swallowed by a snake, but also as a bonding experience: the crossing point of two trajectories whose travelers once thought they'd be forever parallel.
Jeff Whitty came to San Francisco in 2006 on a two-pronged mission: to convince Maupin that his novels would splash extraordinarily on the stage and that Whitty and the Scissor Sisters were the team to do it. At first, Whitty seemed like a natural fit. His book for Avenue Q, the irreverent puppet show often noted for doing to Broadway what Tales did to the Dickens serial, won a Tony in 2004. But this wasn't the first time Maupin's books had been eyed for the stage, so gaining the author's trust was a must. "Do you get high?" Whitty, in denim overalls, snuck out of last-minute rehearsals Thursday to share the question that bonded him to Maupin when they first met. Seeing them interact five years later, giddy-anxious like two fathers outside a delivery room, it's safe to assume Whitty's answer.
But all those drug references were highly metaphorical in comparison to one bloodshot-eyed Andrew Sean Greer, whose performance involved a ukulele rendition of "You're the One That I Want" from Grease. The author stripped off his plaid shirt to reveal a black pleather vest with a tacked-on broken heart as he sweetly talked about the time he found a love note written by an ex-boyfriend in the pages of his Tales.
Maupin's saga is about more than getting high - it's also about getting fucked. Poet Kevin Simmons mixed pleasure with poignancy as he read from his forthcoming collection Mad for Meat, highly erotic and raw at the core. Simmons mocked discontent Thursday night at having to cut his Honolulu vacation short for this 10-minute tribute, but just like Maupin and everyone else in that room, it's hard to imagine being anywhere but in San Francisco.
Noting Potrero Hill prophets and sexually inclusive mayoral candidates, Bay Citizen columnist Scott James engaged the audience with a quick game of fact or fiction, Fog City-edition. Somewhat of a fact/fiction hybrid herself, Michelle Tea appeared in a summer hat. "I feel like I should be holding a basket with jars of jam," the author said. Instead, Tea held a MacBook (she reported printer issues) as she read from an upcoming novel about lesbians in the 1990s, "but the world is about to end, like we all thought it would in the '90s," she clarified to distinguish the work as
fiction. Tea's own literary love letter to San Francisco, Valencia, is undergoing the film adaptation process with 21 directors, each taking a stab at one chapter.
Keeping Maupin's appearance a surprise was a bit of lost cause. The man whose face graced the pages of the Chronicle on a weekly basis only to jump right to the back cover of 10 books gets recognized walking his dog at Duboce Park, and cab drivers all seem to know exactly the block he lives on. The man who passionately pleaded to gay people around the world that the most significant political and social act of their lives would be to come out, that man is just so goddamn inadaptable to the times.
"It's great to be part of a night where the city's literary greats are forced into vaudeville showtunes," was Maupin's way of saying thanks.
Follow us on Twitter at @ExhibitionistSF and like us on Facebook.
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2011/05/authors_show_armistaed_maupin.php
Armistead Maupin got teary-eyed Thursday night.
It was right before stepping into the Swedish American Hall, where he'd be the extra special guest at his own literary tribute, Thoroughly Modern Maupin, happening less than a week before the premiere of the musical adaptation of his groundbreaking saga Tales of the City.
"I get such terrible allergies around this time of year," said Maupin, who turns 67 today.
San Francisco's cool uncle is endearing but never sappy.
The event was sponsored by the American Conservatory Theater and Litquake to rally excitement (and sell some last-minute tickets) for the original musical based on Maupin's novels premiering May 18. The event brought together some of the city's most eccentric authors and performers - emerging icons in their own right - in honor of the man who has without doubt influenced them all.
Emcee Marga Gomez recalled reading the original Tales columns in the San Francisco Chronicle and then years later rediscovering them in book form, "because I was so high the first time around." Author K.M. Soehnlein read an original story about a friendship between two gay men who are separated by the so-called "fly-over" states. "Acid Christmas" depicts getting high not only as an urban trip inside a spaceship as it's swallowed by a snake, but also as a bonding experience: the crossing point of two trajectories whose travelers once thought they'd be forever parallel.
Jeff Whitty came to San Francisco in 2006 on a two-pronged mission: to convince Maupin that his novels would splash extraordinarily on the stage and that Whitty and the Scissor Sisters were the team to do it. At first, Whitty seemed like a natural fit. His book for Avenue Q, the irreverent puppet show often noted for doing to Broadway what Tales did to the Dickens serial, won a Tony in 2004. But this wasn't the first time Maupin's books had been eyed for the stage, so gaining the author's trust was a must. "Do you get high?" Whitty, in denim overalls, snuck out of last-minute rehearsals Thursday to share the question that bonded him to Maupin when they first met. Seeing them interact five years later, giddy-anxious like two fathers outside a delivery room, it's safe to assume Whitty's answer.
But all those drug references were highly metaphorical in comparison to one bloodshot-eyed Andrew Sean Greer, whose performance involved a ukulele rendition of "You're the One That I Want" from Grease. The author stripped off his plaid shirt to reveal a black pleather vest with a tacked-on broken heart as he sweetly talked about the time he found a love note written by an ex-boyfriend in the pages of his Tales.
Maupin's saga is about more than getting high - it's also about getting fucked. Poet Kevin Simmons mixed pleasure with poignancy as he read from his forthcoming collection Mad for Meat, highly erotic and raw at the core. Simmons mocked discontent Thursday night at having to cut his Honolulu vacation short for this 10-minute tribute, but just like Maupin and everyone else in that room, it's hard to imagine being anywhere but in San Francisco.
Noting Potrero Hill prophets and sexually inclusive mayoral candidates, Bay Citizen columnist Scott James engaged the audience with a quick game of fact or fiction, Fog City-edition. Somewhat of a fact/fiction hybrid herself, Michelle Tea appeared in a summer hat. "I feel like I should be holding a basket with jars of jam," the author said. Instead, Tea held a MacBook (she reported printer issues) as she read from an upcoming novel about lesbians in the 1990s, "but the world is about to end, like we all thought it would in the '90s," she clarified to distinguish the work as
fiction. Tea's own literary love letter to San Francisco, Valencia, is undergoing the film adaptation process with 21 directors, each taking a stab at one chapter.
Keeping Maupin's appearance a surprise was a bit of lost cause. The man whose face graced the pages of the Chronicle on a weekly basis only to jump right to the back cover of 10 books gets recognized walking his dog at Duboce Park, and cab drivers all seem to know exactly the block he lives on. The man who passionately pleaded to gay people around the world that the most significant political and social act of their lives would be to come out, that man is just so goddamn inadaptable to the times.
"It's great to be part of a night where the city's literary greats are forced into vaudeville showtunes," was Maupin's way of saying thanks.
Follow us on Twitter at @ExhibitionistSF and like us on Facebook.
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2011/05/authors_show_armistaed_maupin.php
Monday, March 28, 2011
Author of Tales of the City in conversation with Jon Carroll
Best-selling author Armistead Maupin will participate in an evening of lively conversation with columnist Jon Carroll on Thursday, April 14th, 7:00 pm at the Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley. Mr. Maupin is expected to cover a wide variety of topics and engage the audience with his fabled abilities as a storyteller and raconteur. The event will benefit the academic and financial assistance programs of Oakland’s Park Day School.
Armistead Maupin forged the way as one of the first of a new breed of openly gay authors, but his instant widespread appeal resided in his inclusiveness as a storyteller. For over thirty years the characters from his Tales of the City series have blossomed in popular culture—from the groundbreaking newspaper serial, to nine international bestselling novels, to a Peabody Award-winning miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney. A 2006 online poll of British readers named Tales of the City the UK’s all-time favorite gay or lesbian novel. In 2007, Maupin revisited one of the series’ characters with another novel, Michael Tolliver Lives. His most recent novel, Mary Ann in Autumn, was published in the fall of 2010.
This May, the American Conservatory Theatre of San Francisco will present the world premiere of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, a new musical enlisting the talents of librettist Jeff Whitty and director Jason Moore – Tony Award–winning creators of AVENUE Q – and composers Jake Shears and John Garden – the musical minds behind the glam-rock phenomenon Scissor Sisters.
Armistead Maupin’s other works include the New York Times bestseller The Night Listener, which created a sensation in the publishing world when its real-life origins were revealed in an article by The New Yorker and a follow-up investigation by ABC ’s 20/20. The psychological suspense novel was inspired by Maupin’s longtime telephone friendship with Anthony Godby Johnson, a 14-year-old memoirist whose very existence Maupin began to question. “It was like living in the middle of a mystery novel,” Maupin said. “Once it started happening I knew I had to write about it.” He wrote the screen adaptation of The Night Listener, starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Miramax pictures.
Armistead Maupin is also the author of the bestselling novel Maybe the Moon, which chronicles the misadventures of a dwarf actress working in Hollywood. He wrote the narration for the award-winning documentary “The Celluloid Closet,” and was himself the subject of an hour-long BBC documentary, “Armistead Maupin Is A Man I Dreamt Up.” As a librettist, he collaborated in 1999 with composer Jake Heggie on “Anna Madrigal Remembers” for mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and classical choral ensemble Chanticleer.
Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
General admission tickets are $30. A very limited number (25) of $50 tickets will be available, which include priority seating and a post-show reception with the two speakers.
Click here to purchase tickets on-line: Armistead Maupin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=115793
Armistead Maupin forged the way as one of the first of a new breed of openly gay authors, but his instant widespread appeal resided in his inclusiveness as a storyteller. For over thirty years the characters from his Tales of the City series have blossomed in popular culture—from the groundbreaking newspaper serial, to nine international bestselling novels, to a Peabody Award-winning miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney. A 2006 online poll of British readers named Tales of the City the UK’s all-time favorite gay or lesbian novel. In 2007, Maupin revisited one of the series’ characters with another novel, Michael Tolliver Lives. His most recent novel, Mary Ann in Autumn, was published in the fall of 2010.
This May, the American Conservatory Theatre of San Francisco will present the world premiere of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, a new musical enlisting the talents of librettist Jeff Whitty and director Jason Moore – Tony Award–winning creators of AVENUE Q – and composers Jake Shears and John Garden – the musical minds behind the glam-rock phenomenon Scissor Sisters.
Armistead Maupin’s other works include the New York Times bestseller The Night Listener, which created a sensation in the publishing world when its real-life origins were revealed in an article by The New Yorker and a follow-up investigation by ABC ’s 20/20. The psychological suspense novel was inspired by Maupin’s longtime telephone friendship with Anthony Godby Johnson, a 14-year-old memoirist whose very existence Maupin began to question. “It was like living in the middle of a mystery novel,” Maupin said. “Once it started happening I knew I had to write about it.” He wrote the screen adaptation of The Night Listener, starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Miramax pictures.
Armistead Maupin is also the author of the bestselling novel Maybe the Moon, which chronicles the misadventures of a dwarf actress working in Hollywood. He wrote the narration for the award-winning documentary “The Celluloid Closet,” and was himself the subject of an hour-long BBC documentary, “Armistead Maupin Is A Man I Dreamt Up.” As a librettist, he collaborated in 1999 with composer Jake Heggie on “Anna Madrigal Remembers” for mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and classical choral ensemble Chanticleer.
Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
General admission tickets are $30. A very limited number (25) of $50 tickets will be available, which include priority seating and a post-show reception with the two speakers.
Click here to purchase tickets on-line: Armistead Maupin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=115793
Tennessee Williams Festival: a conversation with Armistead Maupin
Posted by Kevin Allman on Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 5:06 PM
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival wrapped up for the afternoon with “A Conversation With Armistead Maupin,” author of the Tales of the City series. Maupin, who said he hadn’t been to New Orleans in 21 years, seemed to be having a fine time, enjoying mint juleps and discussing topics as wide-ranging as Elizabeth Taylor, Jesse Helms, writing about AIDS in the early 1980s and moving to San Francisco after serving in the Vietnam War. The moderator was Ted O’Brien, co-host of “Writer’s Forum” on WRBH-FM. (Will Coviello interviewed Maupin for this week’s paper.)
Maupin, who grew up in Raleigh, N.C., told the audience, “There’s a storytelling tradition in the South; I stay away from calling it an oral tradition, because that’s when the jokes start.”
The Tales of the City novels began as a newspaper serial in the early 1970s, Maupin said, when he was a lifestyle reporter for a small paper in Marin County, Calif. When that paper folded, he was picked up by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1976, which began running his serial five days a week — “800 words a day,” he told the audience gathered in the Royal Sonesta hotel ballroom. The serial ran for many years, covering the 1970s singles scene, the Jonestown massacre, the Reagan years, the gay rights movement and the dawn of AIDS, the advent of yuppies and quite a bit more. The columns were collected in six volumes, and Maupin has written two more, including last year’s Mary Ann in Autumn. A musical based on the books will open in San Francisco, Maupin said.
Maupin compared New Orleans to San Francisco, calling both cities seductive and charming, and was gracious and funny throughout, with one exception: He spoke bitterly about the American Family Association, which protested the miniseries of his Tales books. “But their time is truly over, I believe,” he said, garnering applause from the audience.
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/03/26/tennessee-williams-festival-a-conversation-with-armistead-maupin
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival wrapped up for the afternoon with “A Conversation With Armistead Maupin,” author of the Tales of the City series. Maupin, who said he hadn’t been to New Orleans in 21 years, seemed to be having a fine time, enjoying mint juleps and discussing topics as wide-ranging as Elizabeth Taylor, Jesse Helms, writing about AIDS in the early 1980s and moving to San Francisco after serving in the Vietnam War. The moderator was Ted O’Brien, co-host of “Writer’s Forum” on WRBH-FM. (Will Coviello interviewed Maupin for this week’s paper.)
Maupin, who grew up in Raleigh, N.C., told the audience, “There’s a storytelling tradition in the South; I stay away from calling it an oral tradition, because that’s when the jokes start.”
The Tales of the City novels began as a newspaper serial in the early 1970s, Maupin said, when he was a lifestyle reporter for a small paper in Marin County, Calif. When that paper folded, he was picked up by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1976, which began running his serial five days a week — “800 words a day,” he told the audience gathered in the Royal Sonesta hotel ballroom. The serial ran for many years, covering the 1970s singles scene, the Jonestown massacre, the Reagan years, the gay rights movement and the dawn of AIDS, the advent of yuppies and quite a bit more. The columns were collected in six volumes, and Maupin has written two more, including last year’s Mary Ann in Autumn. A musical based on the books will open in San Francisco, Maupin said.
Maupin compared New Orleans to San Francisco, calling both cities seductive and charming, and was gracious and funny throughout, with one exception: He spoke bitterly about the American Family Association, which protested the miniseries of his Tales books. “But their time is truly over, I believe,” he said, garnering applause from the audience.
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/03/26/tennessee-williams-festival-a-conversation-with-armistead-maupin
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
An Evening with Armistead Maupin
Everything I’ve ever written is based on something in my life.
Armistead Maupin, best-selling author of the Tales of the City novels, is back with the latest story in the series. Mary Ann in Autumn continues his exploration of ‘alternative’ lifestyles in the city by the bay.
The popular series broke new ground with its open reflection of San Francisco’s gay community in the 70s and 80s as well as its frank discussion of AIDS. Maupin’s willingness to broach this subject, at a time when many wouldn’t, has ensured his place in literary history.
Audiences can hear him read aloud from his latest novel before watching him take part in a lively interview with Julie McCrossin. Fans will then have the opportunity to question him about his life and work. As a best-selling author, social commentator, gay soldier in Vietnam, and advocate of homosexual rights, Maupin has led a fascinating life which has earned him a place as a literary icon.
"My hope is that we're close to the time that homophobia takes on the status of racism today -- normal, mainstream people don't accept it." Armistead Maupin
“Tales, the phenomenon that started in 1976 has evolved into a pop cultural phenomenon that has come to define a San Francisco era and ethos.” Los Angeles Times
BOOK SIGNING
As part of this event, Armistead Maupin be available for you to meet and personally sign your ‘Tales in the City’ book directly after the event in the Concert Hall foyer.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
‘Like’ Ideas at the House on Facebook to find out about upcoming talks and special offers. Plus feel free to let us know your thoughts about events you’ve seen, or one’s that you think we should have!
View Armistead Maupin’s website
Part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Please note this performance will be filmed for broadcasting.
Venue: Concert Hall
Dates: 3 March
Duration: 75 minutes including Q&A
Book Online Now!
Select your preferred date on Calendar and click Buy Tickets.
Make a night of it with a Show Plus Package and save!
Add pre- theatre dinner, interval drinks, parking or a tour.
Or, purchase drink vouchers in advance - click here
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/an_evening_with_armistead_maupin.aspx?start=yes
Armistead Maupin, best-selling author of the Tales of the City novels, is back with the latest story in the series. Mary Ann in Autumn continues his exploration of ‘alternative’ lifestyles in the city by the bay.
The popular series broke new ground with its open reflection of San Francisco’s gay community in the 70s and 80s as well as its frank discussion of AIDS. Maupin’s willingness to broach this subject, at a time when many wouldn’t, has ensured his place in literary history.
Audiences can hear him read aloud from his latest novel before watching him take part in a lively interview with Julie McCrossin. Fans will then have the opportunity to question him about his life and work. As a best-selling author, social commentator, gay soldier in Vietnam, and advocate of homosexual rights, Maupin has led a fascinating life which has earned him a place as a literary icon.
"My hope is that we're close to the time that homophobia takes on the status of racism today -- normal, mainstream people don't accept it." Armistead Maupin
“Tales, the phenomenon that started in 1976 has evolved into a pop cultural phenomenon that has come to define a San Francisco era and ethos.” Los Angeles Times
BOOK SIGNING
As part of this event, Armistead Maupin be available for you to meet and personally sign your ‘Tales in the City’ book directly after the event in the Concert Hall foyer.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
‘Like’ Ideas at the House on Facebook to find out about upcoming talks and special offers. Plus feel free to let us know your thoughts about events you’ve seen, or one’s that you think we should have!
View Armistead Maupin’s website
Part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Please note this performance will be filmed for broadcasting.
Venue: Concert Hall
Dates: 3 March
Duration: 75 minutes including Q&A
Book Online Now!
Select your preferred date on Calendar and click Buy Tickets.
Make a night of it with a Show Plus Package and save!
Add pre- theatre dinner, interval drinks, parking or a tour.
Or, purchase drink vouchers in advance - click here
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/an_evening_with_armistead_maupin.aspx?start=yes
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Just announced: Armistead Maupin to be keynote speaker at Seattle PrideFest 2011
Seattle PrideFest just announced that best selling author Armistead Maupin will be the keynote speaker at Seattle PrideFest at Seattle Center on Sunday, June 26. The writer of the beloved “Tales of the City” series of novels focusing on the complicated lives of a group of queer and straight friends living in San Francisco is also a fierce advocate of LGBTQ rights. Mr Maupin was recently in the Seattle area back in November of last year, promoting the 8th book in the “Tales” series, Mary Ann in Autumn and he’s also gearing up for the world premiere of the theatrical musical version of the first two novels in the series which debuts May 18, 2011 at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco with music and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden of Scissor Sisters and a book by Avenue Q writer, Jeff Whitty.
Seattle PrideFest will announce more artists as they are booked, including performers for this year’s big Saturday, June 25th concert, and artists for the Red Party events also scheduled for that Saturday night.
http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2011/02/just-announced-armistead-maupin-to-be-keynote-speaker-at-seattle-pridefest-2011.html
Seattle PrideFest will announce more artists as they are booked, including performers for this year’s big Saturday, June 25th concert, and artists for the Red Party events also scheduled for that Saturday night.
http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2011/02/just-announced-armistead-maupin-to-be-keynote-speaker-at-seattle-pridefest-2011.html
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Darker Tales of the City
Written by Andrew Shaw | 07 February 2011
Author Armistead Maupin is coming to Australia to read from his latest book in the 'Tales of the City' series and meet his fans. He spoke with Andrew Shaw about his new, darker take on life in the city.
Armistead Maupin's career is the stuff of legend. Starting out as a newspaper serial in the Seventies, his Tales of the City books about the residents of a boarding house at 28 Barbary Lane, San Francisco became international bestsellers.
Maupin wrote through the eyes of several characters – eternally optimistic gay man Michael 'Mouse' Tolliver, strait-laced, 20-something Mary Ann Singleton, the eccentric landlady, Anna Madrigal, who welcomed new tenants by taping joints to their doors. Although not all his characters are gay, over the years Maupin kept up with changes in the queer community – the impact of HIV/AIDS, the rise of American conservatism – and his characters aged with him.
Maupin, now 66, still lives in the city that made him famous – and vice-versa – with his husband, Christopher Turner. Recently, when San Francisco became home to America's first gay museum, he was called on to donate an exhibit. He chose a dress that actress Laura Linney, playing Mary Ann, wore in the 1993 Tales TV series. Coincidentally, Maupin's latest book, Mary Ann in Autumn, begins with Mary Ann, now 57, returning to San Francisco to stay with 'Mouse' and catch up on old friends after a long absence. It's the eighth in the Tales series.
In 1989's Sure of You, Mary Ann left San Francisco to marry a wealthy, conservative New York CEO. The accusation from some was that she had 'gone Republican', and it's been suggested Maupin is trying to redeem her character with the new book.
Maupin laughs. "She didn't exactly 'go Republican', but she moved to New York, which is almost as bad in the eyes of San Franciscans. I don't think anyone can be 'redeemed'... In the end, we are who we are. But I wanted people to understand her a little bit more in this novel."
Maupin's style is often compared to Charles Dickens', who also had his early stories serialised. In Mary Ann in Autumn, one of the characters is warned about getting too close to a mentally disturbed street person, telling her that life isn't "quaint and Dickensian".
"I'm sort of making a joke on myself there, to tell you the truth," Maupin laughs. "Dickens never shied away from the grim details of life himself. In this book I've probably embraced that a little bit more than I have in the past with the homeless storyline."
In fact, this Tales book is much darker and more disturbing than any previous novel, edging closer to Maupin's non-Tales thriller, The Night Listener. There is one extremely disturbing turn of events in Mary Ann that will leave many readers of the series gasping.
"It's about as dark as you can get," Maupin admits. "I was thinking last night that the line I hear most often from people and that you can see time and time again on Amazon is: 'It was like visiting with old friends!' And I thought, 'Well, I've written a book that involves cancer, pederasty, child abuse and homelessness and people still think it's like visiting old friends.'"
Maupin shocked his readers in the early Tales story when it was revealed Anna Madrigal was a transwoman. Now in her 80s, Anna is one of the most loved characters in gay literature. But she cannot live forever, and Maupin is not relishing writing her death scene. In fact, it clearly upsets him.
"Yes, I am a writer and yes, I probably have a certain understanding... God... I'm stammering here... I really don't know how to answer you here. It kind of disturbs me, to tell you the truth. I have had people moan and groan at public gatherings when the possibility even arises. But I can't keep her around forever unless I move into the vampire genre."
In the latest book, Michael Tolliver and his 21 years younger partner, Ben, have a loving, open relationship, guided by trust and communication. "I hope it comes across that way," Maupin says of their bond. "It reflects some of the neurosis that occurs when an older man is with a younger man, but it also reflects the solidity of the relationship. But I don't adhere to any strict definition of what 'marriage' means. That's what freedom's about.
"I know gay people who are strictly monogamous and I know gay people with relationships so open you could fly a 747 through them. I think Chris and I have something somewhere in between. But all of it relies on staying open and loving with each other.
"Even in a loving relationship it's easy to get wrapped up in your own concerns and fears that you lose track of the other person: 'What was your day like?' is an extremely important question."
Maupin and hubby Turner are married in the eyes of the State of California – they got in before Prop 8 closed the window of opportunity. Maupin disagrees that Seventies activists would be horrified at the way some gay men are embracing marriage. "I am an old school activist from that time, and I see it as the final fulfilment of our civil rights – or one of them," he argues.
"Marriage is defined by whatever two people are married – we make our own rules. I want to be recognised in the eyes of my government in the same way that anyone else is. In part because it has financial benefits but mostly because I don't want to be told that my love is any less than other, straight couples. Supporting marriage is part of my continuing defiance."
Maupin is looking forward to his appearances in Melbourne and Sydney, where he will be reading from his book, and answering questions from the audience. He finds the public appearances enjoyable, despite the expectations people may have when meeting 'Armistead Maupin'.
"I'm generally able to live up to people's expectations of me," he laughs. "I don't mean that immodestly, I just mean that there's nothing particularly complicated about me. It's not like I'm some porn star they want to fantasise about. I'm just a storyteller and that's what they get when they meet me."
An Evening with Armistead Maupin, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Thursday, March 3, 2011. Bookings: (02) 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com
http://sxnews.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/feature/darker-tales-of-the-city-008365.html
Author Armistead Maupin is coming to Australia to read from his latest book in the 'Tales of the City' series and meet his fans. He spoke with Andrew Shaw about his new, darker take on life in the city.
Armistead Maupin's career is the stuff of legend. Starting out as a newspaper serial in the Seventies, his Tales of the City books about the residents of a boarding house at 28 Barbary Lane, San Francisco became international bestsellers.
Maupin wrote through the eyes of several characters – eternally optimistic gay man Michael 'Mouse' Tolliver, strait-laced, 20-something Mary Ann Singleton, the eccentric landlady, Anna Madrigal, who welcomed new tenants by taping joints to their doors. Although not all his characters are gay, over the years Maupin kept up with changes in the queer community – the impact of HIV/AIDS, the rise of American conservatism – and his characters aged with him.
Maupin, now 66, still lives in the city that made him famous – and vice-versa – with his husband, Christopher Turner. Recently, when San Francisco became home to America's first gay museum, he was called on to donate an exhibit. He chose a dress that actress Laura Linney, playing Mary Ann, wore in the 1993 Tales TV series. Coincidentally, Maupin's latest book, Mary Ann in Autumn, begins with Mary Ann, now 57, returning to San Francisco to stay with 'Mouse' and catch up on old friends after a long absence. It's the eighth in the Tales series.
In 1989's Sure of You, Mary Ann left San Francisco to marry a wealthy, conservative New York CEO. The accusation from some was that she had 'gone Republican', and it's been suggested Maupin is trying to redeem her character with the new book.
Maupin laughs. "She didn't exactly 'go Republican', but she moved to New York, which is almost as bad in the eyes of San Franciscans. I don't think anyone can be 'redeemed'... In the end, we are who we are. But I wanted people to understand her a little bit more in this novel."
Maupin's style is often compared to Charles Dickens', who also had his early stories serialised. In Mary Ann in Autumn, one of the characters is warned about getting too close to a mentally disturbed street person, telling her that life isn't "quaint and Dickensian".
"I'm sort of making a joke on myself there, to tell you the truth," Maupin laughs. "Dickens never shied away from the grim details of life himself. In this book I've probably embraced that a little bit more than I have in the past with the homeless storyline."
In fact, this Tales book is much darker and more disturbing than any previous novel, edging closer to Maupin's non-Tales thriller, The Night Listener. There is one extremely disturbing turn of events in Mary Ann that will leave many readers of the series gasping.
"It's about as dark as you can get," Maupin admits. "I was thinking last night that the line I hear most often from people and that you can see time and time again on Amazon is: 'It was like visiting with old friends!' And I thought, 'Well, I've written a book that involves cancer, pederasty, child abuse and homelessness and people still think it's like visiting old friends.'"
Maupin shocked his readers in the early Tales story when it was revealed Anna Madrigal was a transwoman. Now in her 80s, Anna is one of the most loved characters in gay literature. But she cannot live forever, and Maupin is not relishing writing her death scene. In fact, it clearly upsets him.
"Yes, I am a writer and yes, I probably have a certain understanding... God... I'm stammering here... I really don't know how to answer you here. It kind of disturbs me, to tell you the truth. I have had people moan and groan at public gatherings when the possibility even arises. But I can't keep her around forever unless I move into the vampire genre."
In the latest book, Michael Tolliver and his 21 years younger partner, Ben, have a loving, open relationship, guided by trust and communication. "I hope it comes across that way," Maupin says of their bond. "It reflects some of the neurosis that occurs when an older man is with a younger man, but it also reflects the solidity of the relationship. But I don't adhere to any strict definition of what 'marriage' means. That's what freedom's about.
"I know gay people who are strictly monogamous and I know gay people with relationships so open you could fly a 747 through them. I think Chris and I have something somewhere in between. But all of it relies on staying open and loving with each other.
"Even in a loving relationship it's easy to get wrapped up in your own concerns and fears that you lose track of the other person: 'What was your day like?' is an extremely important question."
Maupin and hubby Turner are married in the eyes of the State of California – they got in before Prop 8 closed the window of opportunity. Maupin disagrees that Seventies activists would be horrified at the way some gay men are embracing marriage. "I am an old school activist from that time, and I see it as the final fulfilment of our civil rights – or one of them," he argues.
"Marriage is defined by whatever two people are married – we make our own rules. I want to be recognised in the eyes of my government in the same way that anyone else is. In part because it has financial benefits but mostly because I don't want to be told that my love is any less than other, straight couples. Supporting marriage is part of my continuing defiance."
Maupin is looking forward to his appearances in Melbourne and Sydney, where he will be reading from his book, and answering questions from the audience. He finds the public appearances enjoyable, despite the expectations people may have when meeting 'Armistead Maupin'.
"I'm generally able to live up to people's expectations of me," he laughs. "I don't mean that immodestly, I just mean that there's nothing particularly complicated about me. It's not like I'm some porn star they want to fantasise about. I'm just a storyteller and that's what they get when they meet me."
An Evening with Armistead Maupin, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Thursday, March 3, 2011. Bookings: (02) 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com
http://sxnews.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/feature/darker-tales-of-the-city-008365.html
Friday, February 4, 2011
OUT in America In Their Own Words, a portrait of LGBT Americans From a News Release
Premieres June 2011 on PBS
New York, NY, January 24, 2011 — Emmy award-winning director Andrew Goldberg and PBS, in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting, today announced a new national PBS special, OUT in America. The one-hour film will make its national premiere on PBS in June, in conjunction with National Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.
OUT in America is an uplifting collection of unique, transformative stories and inspiring personal narratives told through the lens of the country's most prominent LGBT figures and pioneers, as well as many average, yet extraordinary, citizens from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities. The program weaves together diverse stories - from urban and rural America, from the heartland to New England, from San Francisco to Harlem. Deeply moving and often humorous, viewers will get a glimpse of awakenings, first crushes, unlikely soul mates, intimacy and liberation. While separated by circumstance and upbringing, the film's subjects are all united in their shared experiences of self-discovery, coming out, pride and love as well as a triumph over adversity and a true sense of belonging. Against the backdrop of historical events, each also traces their own hopes, struggles, influences and contributions towards advancements in equality and broad social change.
"The first of its kind, OUT in America is a more realistic portrait of LGBT life than almost anything seen on TV before," says Goldberg. "So often, media coverage of LGBT life in America is polarizing or exploitative of controversy and homophobia, or alternately LGBT individuals are presented as caricatures of a stereotype. OUT in America however focuses on empowerment, diversity and relationships."
The special features interviews with and anecdotes from cult TV personality Andy Cohen (Bravo TV Host), famed Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin, country music star Chely Wright, humorist Kate Clinton, as well as legendary LGBT activists James Hormel (philanthropist), Urvashi Vaid (former Executive Director of the pre-eminent civil rights organization National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, recently cited in Out Magazine's list of most influential men and women in America) and Dr. Patricia Hawkins (psychologist renowned for her early work with HIV patients). Other influential lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people in the film include: Reverend Peter Gomes, who came out on the steps of Memorial Church at Harvard; PJ Serrano, Puerto Rico's first openly gay and HIV positive political candidate; a transgender police lieutenant, who transitioned while on active duty; a Muslim lesbian from the country of Mauritius; a gay rancher; the organizer of Capital Queer Prom; a Latino rapper; a West Point graduate and former Captain in the US Army; a drag queen; a great-grandmother; and "The Harolds," a giddy bi-racial couple in their 80s, who reminisce, in unison, about their five decades together. "We've had a good life. We still love each other, which is rare in most cases…it just gets better."
OUT in America examines the ways in which LGBT Americans obtained a sense of freedom from social oppression by reconciling conflicts between their sexuality and other prominent factors in their public lives such as faith, family and service in the military. The film addresses the complexity of an individual's tendency to embrace multiple identities across lines of race, gender, class, religion, age and nationality. While much progress has been made to emerge gay life from underground to mainstream over the past 50 years, many caution the urgency for political and social activism is more important than ever, indicating that legality of marriage, the repeal of the nation's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and other legislative victories still don't ensure equality and acceptance around the country or at home in their own cultural, religious and ethnic groups.
With early media coverage and public attention on the community primarily focused on gay men, OUT in America also looks at the patriarchal shift and growing role of lesbians in the rights movements, in particular their visibility in marches on Washington, a division and subsequent alignment with the feminist and women's liberation movements and most significantly, the organizational change and growth in leadership as healthcare providers and activists during the early years of the AIDS crisis.
OUT in America was written, directed and executive produced by Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats Productions. The film was edited by Linda Lamm; Steve Rubinstein served as Associate Producer; and Douglas Chang as Coordinating Producer.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30423
New York, NY, January 24, 2011 — Emmy award-winning director Andrew Goldberg and PBS, in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting, today announced a new national PBS special, OUT in America. The one-hour film will make its national premiere on PBS in June, in conjunction with National Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.
OUT in America is an uplifting collection of unique, transformative stories and inspiring personal narratives told through the lens of the country's most prominent LGBT figures and pioneers, as well as many average, yet extraordinary, citizens from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities. The program weaves together diverse stories - from urban and rural America, from the heartland to New England, from San Francisco to Harlem. Deeply moving and often humorous, viewers will get a glimpse of awakenings, first crushes, unlikely soul mates, intimacy and liberation. While separated by circumstance and upbringing, the film's subjects are all united in their shared experiences of self-discovery, coming out, pride and love as well as a triumph over adversity and a true sense of belonging. Against the backdrop of historical events, each also traces their own hopes, struggles, influences and contributions towards advancements in equality and broad social change.
"The first of its kind, OUT in America is a more realistic portrait of LGBT life than almost anything seen on TV before," says Goldberg. "So often, media coverage of LGBT life in America is polarizing or exploitative of controversy and homophobia, or alternately LGBT individuals are presented as caricatures of a stereotype. OUT in America however focuses on empowerment, diversity and relationships."
The special features interviews with and anecdotes from cult TV personality Andy Cohen (Bravo TV Host), famed Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin, country music star Chely Wright, humorist Kate Clinton, as well as legendary LGBT activists James Hormel (philanthropist), Urvashi Vaid (former Executive Director of the pre-eminent civil rights organization National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, recently cited in Out Magazine's list of most influential men and women in America) and Dr. Patricia Hawkins (psychologist renowned for her early work with HIV patients). Other influential lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people in the film include: Reverend Peter Gomes, who came out on the steps of Memorial Church at Harvard; PJ Serrano, Puerto Rico's first openly gay and HIV positive political candidate; a transgender police lieutenant, who transitioned while on active duty; a Muslim lesbian from the country of Mauritius; a gay rancher; the organizer of Capital Queer Prom; a Latino rapper; a West Point graduate and former Captain in the US Army; a drag queen; a great-grandmother; and "The Harolds," a giddy bi-racial couple in their 80s, who reminisce, in unison, about their five decades together. "We've had a good life. We still love each other, which is rare in most cases…it just gets better."
OUT in America examines the ways in which LGBT Americans obtained a sense of freedom from social oppression by reconciling conflicts between their sexuality and other prominent factors in their public lives such as faith, family and service in the military. The film addresses the complexity of an individual's tendency to embrace multiple identities across lines of race, gender, class, religion, age and nationality. While much progress has been made to emerge gay life from underground to mainstream over the past 50 years, many caution the urgency for political and social activism is more important than ever, indicating that legality of marriage, the repeal of the nation's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and other legislative victories still don't ensure equality and acceptance around the country or at home in their own cultural, religious and ethnic groups.
With early media coverage and public attention on the community primarily focused on gay men, OUT in America also looks at the patriarchal shift and growing role of lesbians in the rights movements, in particular their visibility in marches on Washington, a division and subsequent alignment with the feminist and women's liberation movements and most significantly, the organizational change and growth in leadership as healthcare providers and activists during the early years of the AIDS crisis.
OUT in America was written, directed and executive produced by Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats Productions. The film was edited by Linda Lamm; Steve Rubinstein served as Associate Producer; and Douglas Chang as Coordinating Producer.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30423
Monday, January 24, 2011
An Evening with Armistead Maupin
Everything I’ve ever written is based on something in my life.
Armistead Maupin, best-selling author of the Tales of the City novels, is back with the latest story in the series. Mary Ann in Autumn continues his exploration of ‘alternative’ lifestyles in the city by the bay.
The popular series broke new ground with its open reflection of San Francisco’s gay community in the 70s and 80s as well as its frank discussion of AIDS. Maupin’s willingness to broach this subject, at a time when many wouldn’t, has ensured his place in literary history.
Audiences can hear him read aloud from his latest novel before watching him take part in a lively interview with Julie McCrossin. Fans will then have the opportunity to question him about his life and work. As a best-selling author, social commentator, gay soldier in Vietnam, and advocate of homosexual rights, Maupin has led a fascinating life which has earned him a place as a literary icon.
“My hope is that we’re close to the time that homophobia takes on the status of racism today — normal, mainstream people don’t accept it.” Armistead Maupin
“Tales, the phenomenon that started in 1976 has evolved into a pop cultural phenomenon that has come to define a San Francisco era and ethos.” Los Angeles Times
Part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
To find out more click here
http://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/9550-an-evening-with-armistead-maupin
Monday, January 10, 2011
Tweet this: Maupin's coming
Tweet this: Maupin's coming
January 10, 2011 - 4:47PM
America's chronicler of gay life, Armistead Maupin, keeps a finger on the pulse while setting his sights on Sydney.
Armistead Maupin, famed as a chronicler of gay life and the first novelist to tackle AIDS, is heading to Australia. He will read from his latest book at the Opera House on March 3.
The author of the best-selling Tales of the City novels extends his famed three-decades-long series with an eighth instalment - Mary Ann in Autumn. The story follows Mary Ann Singleton as she finds herself back in the city of her youth at 57, taking refuge in the backyard cottage of her oldest friend, Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, a gay gardener with a younger husband. As she re-engages with her past (with the help of Facebook, naturally), Mary Ann finds certain things come back to haunt her.
Maupin, who has been busy Tweeting about his impending visit (sending love to his followers in washed-out Queensland and joking about finally knowing what a map of Tassie is), will read from the new novel in the Concert Hall before chatting to journalist Julie McCrossin and taking questions from the audience. His appearance is part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras program.
His iconic novels grew out of a newspaper serial published in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1976. At the time it broke new ground with its candid insights into San Francisco’s gay community as well as its frank discussion of AIDS. Maupin’s willingness to broach the subject at a time when many wouldn’t ensured his place in literary history. He also had the advantage of having his work published soon after writing, allowing him to tap into the zeitgeist and deal with issues in a timely way.
His first three Tales novels became even more widely known when they were turned into three mini-series starring Olympia Dukakis as the eccentric dope-growing landlady Anna Madrigal and Laura Linney (to whom his new book is dedicated) as Mary Ann. His novel The Night Listener also became a film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.
As an author, social commentator, gay soldier in Vietnam and advocate of homosexual rights, Maupin has led a fascinating life. Today, between attending writers’ festivals, readings and signings around the world, he lives in San Francisco with his husband Christopher Turner.
Maupin has also embraced the role of international spokesperson for gay rights. In his second novel More Tales of the City, Michael Tolliver (the most autobiographical of Maupin’s characters) writes a coming-out letter to his mother. Maupin’s words have since been used as a template by other people struggling to reveal their true selves.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/sydney-opera-house/tweet-this-maupins-coming-20110110-19k8b.html
January 10, 2011 - 4:47PM
America's chronicler of gay life, Armistead Maupin, keeps a finger on the pulse while setting his sights on Sydney.
Armistead Maupin, famed as a chronicler of gay life and the first novelist to tackle AIDS, is heading to Australia. He will read from his latest book at the Opera House on March 3.
The author of the best-selling Tales of the City novels extends his famed three-decades-long series with an eighth instalment - Mary Ann in Autumn. The story follows Mary Ann Singleton as she finds herself back in the city of her youth at 57, taking refuge in the backyard cottage of her oldest friend, Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, a gay gardener with a younger husband. As she re-engages with her past (with the help of Facebook, naturally), Mary Ann finds certain things come back to haunt her.
Maupin, who has been busy Tweeting about his impending visit (sending love to his followers in washed-out Queensland and joking about finally knowing what a map of Tassie is), will read from the new novel in the Concert Hall before chatting to journalist Julie McCrossin and taking questions from the audience. His appearance is part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras program.
His iconic novels grew out of a newspaper serial published in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1976. At the time it broke new ground with its candid insights into San Francisco’s gay community as well as its frank discussion of AIDS. Maupin’s willingness to broach the subject at a time when many wouldn’t ensured his place in literary history. He also had the advantage of having his work published soon after writing, allowing him to tap into the zeitgeist and deal with issues in a timely way.
His first three Tales novels became even more widely known when they were turned into three mini-series starring Olympia Dukakis as the eccentric dope-growing landlady Anna Madrigal and Laura Linney (to whom his new book is dedicated) as Mary Ann. His novel The Night Listener also became a film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.
As an author, social commentator, gay soldier in Vietnam and advocate of homosexual rights, Maupin has led a fascinating life. Today, between attending writers’ festivals, readings and signings around the world, he lives in San Francisco with his husband Christopher Turner.
Maupin has also embraced the role of international spokesperson for gay rights. In his second novel More Tales of the City, Michael Tolliver (the most autobiographical of Maupin’s characters) writes a coming-out letter to his mother. Maupin’s words have since been used as a template by other people struggling to reveal their true selves.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/sydney-opera-house/tweet-this-maupins-coming-20110110-19k8b.html
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Amy Tan Tribute/Roast October 14
Litquake’s third annual Barbary Coast Award for contribution to the Bay Area literary community is presented to Amy Tan, international bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and member of the all-author band Rock Bottom Remainders. Join us for this highly entertaining tribute-roast with special guests Rabih Alameddine, Sam Barry, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao, Ben Fong-Torres, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Andrew Sean Greer, Michael Krasny, Armistead Maupin, Roger McGuinn, Elaine Petrocelli and of course, Amy Tan. Music by Los Train Wreck. Book sales and signing to follow.
Wednesday, October 14, 8 pm
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street, San Francisco
(415) 392-4400
Admission: $25 general, $75 includes post-event reception
Tickets available at City Box Office.
Here’s a quote we love from a 2005 interview with Amy in the Guardian.
“I accept that probably for the rest of my life I will be identified with The Joy Luck Club — I will always be introduced as the author of the Joy Luck Club. On my tombstone — if I wanted a tombstone, which I don’t — it would say ‘Author of The Joy Luck Club.‘ That’s fine. I hope that I continue to write my best book with each book that I write. I am very lucky that that happened to me.”
http://www.litquake.org/amy-tan-tributeroast-october-14/
Wednesday, October 14, 8 pm
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street, San Francisco
(415) 392-4400
Admission: $25 general, $75 includes post-event reception
Tickets available at City Box Office.
Here’s a quote we love from a 2005 interview with Amy in the Guardian.
“I accept that probably for the rest of my life I will be identified with The Joy Luck Club — I will always be introduced as the author of the Joy Luck Club. On my tombstone — if I wanted a tombstone, which I don’t — it would say ‘Author of The Joy Luck Club.‘ That’s fine. I hope that I continue to write my best book with each book that I write. I am very lucky that that happened to me.”
http://www.litquake.org/amy-tan-tributeroast-october-14/
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