Logical Family
A Memoir
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4.8 • 11 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
'A sweet, filthy peach of a memoir from a cultural explosion of a man' CAITLIN MORAN
Born in the mid-twentieth century and raised in the heart of conservative North Carolina, Armistead Maupin lost his virginity to another man “on the very spot where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.” Realizing that the South was too small for him, this son of a traditional lawyer packed his earthly belongings into his Opel GT (including a beloved portrait of a Confederate ancestor), and took to the road in search of adventure. It was a journey that would lead him from a homoerotic Navy initiation ceremony in the jungles of Vietnam to that strangest of strange lands: San Francisco in the early 1970s.
Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his “logical family,” the people he could call his own. "Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us,” he writes. “We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives." From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century.
Maupin recalls his losses and life-changing experiences with humor and unflinching honesty, and brings to life flesh-and-blood characters as endearing and unforgettable as the vivid, fraught men and women who populate his enchanting novels. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of the man who depicted the liberation and evolution of America’s queer community over the last four decades with honesty and compassion—and inspired millions to claim their own lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Novelist Maupin traces his journey from a conservative North Carolina upbringing to the emerging gay liberation scene of his beloved adopted hometown of San Francisco during the pivotal 1970s. As narrator of the audio edition, Maupin's vocal styling has a special combination of whimsy and warmth. His impish tone and animated delivery come across as irreverent but not mean-spirited. This delivery shines in the tale of Maupin's encounter, as a Naval officer in Vietnam, with a lizard species nicknamed for its vulgar-sounding cry and his awkward attempt to recount this ribald anecdote years later to child star turned diplomat Shirley Temple Black. In passages devoted to more serious matters the AIDS crisis and his own family's support for homophobic political causes, for instance Maupin does not shy away from allowing emotion into his voice. Yet the sorrow and regret remain tempered by a sense of ease and confidence, making for a thoroughly enthralling listening experience. A Harper hardcover.
Customer Reviews
Magnificent Maupin
For my whole adult life, Armistead Maupin's words have been solid ground. Like an absolutely gay cliche, the teenage version of me made my way to the gay ghetto with Tales of the City tucked into my suitcase. That first logical family gave hope and helped me find my own. Over the last 20 years I've stayed in close contact with all of his characters and it feels like we've grown older comfortably together. And so Logical Family is somehow akin to sitting down with my very own patriarch and learning all the family stories. Less like reading a book and much more like being swept into the warmest of embraces. An autobiography always feels to me such an act of generosity from an author - this one is a gift I'll treasure and come back to as often as possible.