Corrrrrrr...me old pal JEJ just called to tell me she had gobbled up the new final Armistead Maupin Tales of the City book, Michael Tolliver Lives, and had I had I did I know did I have? I had heard it was coming out, but didn't realize it was already out! So I am on a freakin tear. Will probably get it tomorrow, if I can figure out a cheap way to do it.

Crazed TotC fans are well-aware of the funny feeling left behind with the previous final, Sure of You. I dunno, I always had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I felt strongly that these were his characters and if that's how things were ending, that's how things were ending, sad conflicts and all. On the other hand, that book also seemed a little reactive. I'm not sure that's the book he would have written if there had been a longer beat before its existence. He seemed to be rebelling against his previous books a bit, which is why I'm not appalled that there's a new final book--the series didn't seem quite finished. Plus! Plus {gossipy AM life stuff here that I can newly identify with}.

Michael Tolliver Lives sounds pretty rockin, can't wait to dive in. I've been reading these books since early in high school, when a much cooler friend than I gave me More Tales of the City as a present. I just let the book sit on my shelf until competitive feelings with my sister made me pick it up (she said "that book's really good, did you know?") and from then on I was hooked. Completely hooklineandsinker hooked. I know everybody has their own "I first read Tales in the Chronicle!"/" I first read Tales in the Shopper it was in before that!" macho proprietary tales of Tales love, but as a yearning hoping seeking horndog all-agog teenager in Columbus, OH, in the early 80s, these books really did make a huge impression on my life and frankly, language usage! Read read read read re-read re-read re-read. I couldn't afford Significant Others when it came out, so I digested it, chapter-by-chapter, sittin on a stool in our college bookstore, my mouth open at each development. I took the 22 bus to Unabridged bookstore once on a rainy day here in Chicago, to have A. Maupin sign my battered first copy of More. So, you know...I'm excited.

AND I LIKE THIS COVER! One thing I like about my battered collection of Tales books is all the different cover treatments they represent, different styles over the years. They're just the tip of the iceberg, though--those books have had a bizillion illustrative styles. This one, though, is self-referential in the nicest way. Beautiful simple Rothko colors, font choices from all the way in the beginning that woulda been too Too even five years ago, some muting in the pallette. It could be a little coy, a fake worn book, but this just seems to work, IMHO. I like. Can't wait to read! Thanks, J.