Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Literary Armistead



The event at the Los Angeles Public Library with Armistead Maupin was a ... success. He really is just the nicest guy. After a few moments, I felt like I was talking to an old chum. He loves to laugh and it's a hearty one at that.

In our talk, I became truly grateful about his contributions to fiction. He introduced gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender characters into the mainstream. He was the first writer to incorporate AIDS into fiction. And in his current novel Michael Tolliver Lives, he did something I'd never read before: he introduced a well-rounded "transman," a female to male individual.


At one point in the evening, my friend Eduardo Santiago asked from the audience who were some upcoming gay authors he admired. He turned to me and said that I was one of them. That was really too, too kind of him to say.




I'd highly recommend reading the Tales of the City series if you haven't read it. It's a satisfying read. I challenged the audience to make it their summer reading project.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!
I'm glad it was a such a success since you had been feeling nervous about it--understandably!
In the Great Literary Cycle of Life, you'll be making a young author feel nervous about interviewing you, someday (if that hasn't already happened).

Liz Dwyer said...

So glad that this was a success. I was totally thinking of you tonight and wondering how things went. I'm glad you let us all know so quickly. And that is quite a nice compliment that he gave you. A very well-deserved compliment.

Sundry said...

Glad you had a good time with this. Wonderful to hear!

Paul Bens, Author of "Kelland" said...

I so wish I'd been there. And I can't wait to read "Michael Tolliver Lives"

ernasty said...

hey, i went to the reading at Skylight for Mr. Maupin and he was awesome. I bought his first book and excited about the rest.

And... it must've been an honor to have had an event with him.

Anonymous said...

What a great honor to meet him, how cool! I did not know he had a new book, wonderful. Thanks for all your writing her in blog, I'm enjoying your books and this blog.

Anonymous said...

Noel, darling, I had lunch with Eduardo the next day and he told me ALL about the evening, that you were Wonderful, and Armistead was charming. I'm crushed I didn't get to attend, but I don't get out much.

I'm taking MICHAEL TOLLIVER LIVES to read on the flight to Montreal. I always want to have a book so un-put-downable it'll keep me occupied for the whole way.

When is your next event?

One of your biggest fans,

George Snyder
www.georgesnyder.org

Don Cummings said...

The smooth sailing and great experience you had does not surprise me!

circuitmouse said...

There are literary events... and then there are literary events. That evening was an event by anyone's standards. Rare are the authors who prove to be as engaging in person as their words are in print; and you made a perfect host to his appearance at the Central Library. Friends of mine in The City are still excitedly calling each other up with tidbits from 'MTL' that speak to their lives as 'TOTC' did, so many (ahem) years ago...