Fans of Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of The City” series of beloved books featuring the stories and lives of Michael Tolliver, Mary Anne Singleton, Brian Hawkins and everyone’s favorite landlady, Anna Madrigal can do a little happy dance because Christmas is coming early this year, November 2 to be precise. Mr Maupin announced on his Facebook page a few days ago that he has completed the writing of the latest book in the series, Mary Ann in Autumn and it “hits the stands” on that day.
Armistead Maupin wants to thank his brilliant and adorable editor, Rakesh Satyal at HarperCollins, for offering such useful advice about “Mary Ann in Autumn.” It hits the stands
(if books still do that) on November 2.
Judging by the title, it’s pretty easy to assume that the new work focuses on our fickle heroine, Mary Ann Singleton and what she’s been up to since leaving San Francisco. Many fans of the character were upset at the turn the character took in the later books in the series, as she became an unsympathetic, 80’s career woman and media star, eventually moving from the San Francisco setting of the books to embark on a career as a talk show host in New York at the end of the sixth, and at that time, Maupin’s announced final book in the series, Sure of You, in 1989. But Maupin resurrected the characters in his 2007 novel Michael Tolliver Lives which Maupin originally insisted was not really part of the “Tales” series, but later admitted that he was deluding himself. Mary Ann only had a small role towards the end of that book, but appeared to be atoning for some of the self-centered actions that caused her estrangement from the core “Tales” characters. It will be interesting to see how Mary Ann returns to their lives for the new novel; it was established in Michael Tolliver Lives that Mary Ann was remarried with a stepson and largely retired from her television career and living the life of a pampered, middle-aged society wife in Connecticut…what’s going to bring her back to The City By The Bay? And, how can the increasingly frail and elderly Anna Madrigal survive another story? She’s 112, for godsake!
I can’t wait to find out!
-Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
