[The author of The Gay Novel: The Male Homosexual Image in America (1983), Levin is an American educator, biographer, and nonfiction writer. In the following excerpt, he contends that Tales of the City presents homosexuality as "a single facet of the human persona" and an ordinary part of the social milieu.]

Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City consists of interrelated vignettes that were originally printed as a column in the San Francisco Chronicle. (The work was so commercially successful that it led to six sequels.) Despite the humble newspaper origins, the tales offer pleasant diversions mixed with insight—more so than works with more prestigious aims. The short escapades describe the lives of young San Franciscans, most of whom are single; a few older characters and married couples complete the picture. About half are lesbians and gay men and most of the tales revolve around their efforts to find a genuine lasting relationship. Often this quest merely leads to sex. The married characters try to improve their relationships or supply what they feel is missing through extramarital activity. Some of the humor results from the bizarre intermingling of the characters.

Some of the ambience appears that gives San Francisco its cosmopolitan reputation, especially about sexuality and drugs. However, Maupin also has fun mocking the foibles of both heterosexual and homosexual elites. A marvelous description occurs of an upper-class ladies' meeting at which rape is the subject of discussion. Another clever scene is an elegant gay male dinner

"So," said William Devereux Hill, III, passing the braised endive to Edward Paxton Stoker, Jr. "Tony and I checked the St. Louis Social Register, and they are NOT in it. Neither one of them…. And let's face it, honey. In St. Louis, it's not that difficult."

Maupin has an ear for contemporary dialogue and captures the distinction of gay San Francisco. He excels at finding particular status symbols by which Americans rate each other. By describing a piece of furniture, some clothing or a hair style, he manages to deflate some pretensions. No group or social class escapes this gentle satire, and many of the peculiarities of gay men are spoofed in the book.

Maupin's gay characters cover the range of professions from doctors to hangers-on. In terms of personality, they are often genuine, thoughtful, and wise; or phony, exploitive, and stupid; or varied combinations. The book admirably demonstrates that homosexually oriented men have a normal range of good and bad characteristics. While Maupin's work avoids the direct political advocacy of [Potricia Nell] Warren [The Beauty Queen (1978)] or [N.A.] Diaman [Ed Dean Is Queer (1978)]. it effectively shows that homosexuality is only a single facet of the human persona. Sexual orientation does not alter other parts of one's personality. By showing this truth, Maupin makes his own contribution to a more understanding view of homosexuality.