pop culture, reviewed

I am certain that I have mentioned before, in person and on this blog, how my very favorite book of all time is probably Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin.  It’s not like I think it’s better than, say, The Sound and the Fury or anything (that’s another favorite), but it’s probably the book that I enjoy re-reading the most.  There are six in the series and every year I read at least one of them.  (The fourth and fifth ones are not as great, but the first three and the sixth are so magnificent, I can’t even begin to tell you.)  They follow a crazy assortment of people who live in an apartment building in San Francisco, starting in the late 70’s and ending about 1989.

Well.

Check this out.  It’s a new one!  I didn’t know about this until ten minutes ago, when Jake emailed it to me and I began to cry.  Michael Tolliver Lives!  Best title ever?  Maybe, because I feel like an old friend, a favorite friend, just called me out of the blue to say hello.  Michael Tolliver was/is by far my favorite character in Tales of the City.  I cannot wait to see what he’s been doing.

I am not sure why the Tales of the City books have such a special place in my heart, aside from the fact that they are just awesome — ridiculous and hilarious and silly and sweet and fun.  I think it has to do with the fact that I discovered them completely on my own, when I was about fifteen.  I had never heard anything about them, had never known anyone who read them, but was taken with the bright attractive cover.  Then, when I fell in love with the first one, it was a mission to find the rest of them.  Our local bookstores didn’t just have plenty of them in stock — I had to search for them, and I found and cherished each, one by one.  I loved them.  I especially loved Michael “Mouse” Tolliver.  In my mind, Mouse was the first  gay person I knew, my first gay friend. 

For years, every time I went to the bookstore, I checked Maupin’s section of the shelves just in case there were new ones.  I guess I had given up hope.  Now, to find out that I get to find out what happened to Mouse and Brian?  A GAZILLION times more exciting than the new Ryan Adams album and the new Harry Potter combined.  At last.