The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

Jennifer M. Kroot’s lively and affectionate profile of Armistead Maupin, which aired on PBS’s Independent Lens, presents its subject as both author and gay icon. In an early interview, Maupin describes himself as a writer who is gay rather than a gay writer. He grew up in North Carolina, where he became a conservative like his father. Far-right politician Jesse Helms even gave him his first writing job. Maupin went on to serve in Vietnam, which made his father proud. After the war, he established himself in the Bay Area through the column that would later be the basis for his famed Tales of the City novel series. The ongoing saga about Mary Ann Singleton and her LGBT social circle started in the Pacific Sun before being picked up by the San Francisco Chronicle. Maupin thought it would make him famous, and he was right. Friends including Neil Gaiman and Laura Linney (who played Mary Ann in three miniseries aired between 1993-2001), offer their thoughts about Maupin’s unique twist on the Dickensian serial. Kate Bornstein, a non-binary theorist, was particularly impressed by the character of Anna Madrigal, a transgender apartment manager that Maupin modeled on his beloved grandmother. The show went on to become one of PBS’s biggest success stories, although the outcry from conservative leaders led to its cancellation after the first season (Showtime commissioned the second and third). Actress Selene Luna also praises Maupin’s novel Maybe the Moon, the story of a little person like Luna herself, for depicting her reality with such empathy. Other speakers include Sir Ian McKellen, Amy Tan, and Olympia Dukakis, who played Ms. Madrigal in the TV adaptations. A fond celebration of Maupin’s work, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)