Logical Family: A Memoir

The celebrated author of Tales of the City series revisits his turbulent upbringing and path to self-actualization in this engrossing and emotional memoir. Born in North Carolina into a bigoted family that revered its Confederate history, Maupin seemed set for a career working with Jesse Helms in the archconservative media. But after coming to terms with his sexuality while serving as a Navy officer, Maupin moved to San Francisco a few years before the dawn of the LGBTQ-rights movement, where he would eventually write his iconic queer series. Maupin plays fast and loose with his timeline, jumping fluidly back and forth between decades, but never muddies his waters—in fact, the story is told with such clarity that even those unfamiliar with Maupin’s work can appreciate his life experiences. He had steamy trysts with Rock Hudson as well as a long-standing friendship with Ian McKellan, but the true prize here is the cleverness with which Maupin bares his soul. Maupin ties the bonds of joy and heartache he shares with both his families (biological and “logical”), and in so doing he has crafted a nuanced reflection on what it means to love and be loved in a flawed but beautiful world. Includes b&w photos. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM. (Oct.)