Tales of the City

Tales of the City is a series of six books, originally serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle, written by San Francisco novelist Armistead Maupin. Tales of the City is also the title of the first book in that series.

Related Topics:
San Francisco Chronicle - Armistead Maupin

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The series is a vivid depiction of San Franciscan life from the late 70s to the mid 80s, spanning classes, sexual orientations, and (trans-)genders in an amusing prose. The lives and careers of the residents of 28 Barbary Lane are tracked, and a lot of humor is drawn from the unexpected crossing of plotlines in unexpected places (such as a lesbian summer camp). This rich tapestry of storytelling with a keen eye on the sexual climate of the era has often been compared to the writings of Honoré de Balzac.

Related Topics:
San Franciscan - Honoré de Balzac

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"Tales" started as a serialized feature in a now-defunct San Francisco area newspaper, The Pacific Sun. The paper published five installments of the serial until it folded. In 1976, Maupin pitched a daily serial to the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle, and when they agreed, he drew from the same batch of characters.

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