Logical Family: A Memoir

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. [em]A Harper hardcover. (Oct.) [/em]