Michael Tolliver Lives

READING If you don’t already know him, you should meet Michael Tolliver. He’s a great guy who lives in San Francisco and I was introduced to him over twenty-three years ago. We’ve never actually met face to face since he’s a fictional character, but he’s still very near and dear to my heart.
I was very happy to hear that the title of the new novel by Armistead Maupin, author of the "Tales of the City" series is "Michael Tolliver Lives." It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard about Michael and I was eager to find out what he’s been up to.
The first time I read any of the six TOTC books was when I was living in Pittsburgh and only the first four books were available. Somehow I got hold of two sets and shared them with three friends. As my friend West and I finished reading the same title, we passed them onto Beth and Kevin, until we had read all four. This shared reading event was incredibly fun, literally awesome, and an experience that has never been duplicated.
Reading about Michael in the new book is like visiting and catching up with my real life friends. And I couldn’t wait to hear every word he had to say. As we’ve all grown, seeking out adventures like those of the past is substituted with a comfort level in dishing about the details of our new loves, open-relationships and the lives and deaths of friends and family. When that kind of closeness and trust is developed, whom else would you freely talk about manginas and frankenpeckers with? As Michael would say, these people are part of my "logical" family.
The structure of this book is different in that there are no mysteries to be solved, and everything is from Michael’s point of view. We meet some nice new people in his life, like Jake, Patreese and his husband Ben, and hear about familiar ones, like Brian, Mona and Anna Madrigal. There are still some scars felt towards Mary Ann, who is initially referenced only as Brian’s ex-wife while he is on painkillers. But she is still family, and the mention of her was enough to put a big smile on my face, just like hearing the nicknames Mouse and babycakes again.
Everything’s up to date in San Francisco and there are many topics that will resonate with the gay community – and straight people too. Maupin gets a few humorous political digs in here and there, like when Michael’s ill mother, who lives in Florida, is dragged to the polls to vote for George Bush while carrying an oxygen tank. But Maupin is best at mixing wit with emotion, as when Michael asks himself if he could trade the happiness he has with his husband and says: "Not while love is still something I can taste and touch and nurture and pull down the pants of…"
Since it is not a sequel, anyone can jump in and read this book without having read the amazing "Tales of the City" books. But when you’re done with "Michael Tolliver Lives," you’ll want to know more.

Armistead Maupin’s website: http://www.armisteadmaupin.com/