Babycakes by Armistead Maupin
"Babycakes" is the fourth book in Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City" series, exploring the emotional landscape surrounding the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. The narrative centers on Michael Tolliver, who grapples with the profound grief of losing his partner, Dr. Jon Fielding, one of the earliest victims of AIDS in the U.S. The novel delves into themes of love, loss, and the complex dynamics of chosen families as Michael navigates the aftermath of Jon's death.
Throughout his journey, he confronts feelings of guilt and regret, particularly regarding their relationship's infidelities and his failure to express his love adequately. With the support of his chosen family, including the nurturing figure of Anna Madrigal, Michael embarks on a path toward healing, which involves both personal reflection and community engagement through volunteer work. As the story progresses, new family members enter the fold, emphasizing themes of resilience and the capacity to rebuild after tragedy. By the end of the novel, while some healing has occurred, Michael still faces challenges in moving forward, capturing the ongoing struggle for recovery in the context of loss.
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Subject Terms
Babycakes by Armistead Maupin
First published: 1984
The Work
Armistead Maupin’s Babycakes, the fourth volume in his Tales of the City series about life in San Francisco, is about the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) crisis. Babycakes provides a psychological study of how individuals and families suffer and recover from the loss of loved ones. In this case, the family is one of choice rather than one of origin.
As the novel opens, the reader discovers that Michael Tolliver has recently lost his lover, Dr. Jon Fielding, to AIDS. One of the first thousand people in the United States to succumb to the disease, Jon withered to ninety pounds. He died, however, surrounded by his loving chosen family, including not only Michael but also his landlady Anna Madrigal and his friends Mona Ramsey, Brian Baxter, and Mary Ann Singleton.
Before Michael can begin his recovery, he is forced to face painful memories and emotions. That he and Jon were never sexually faithful to each other weighs heavily on Michael’s conscience. Worse, he feels that he never clearly communicated to Jon how much he loved him. Too often, they fought and turned to others for solace. These haunting thoughts make Michael feel helpless and despondent. In an effort to assuage the pain, he chooses to do volunteer work for an AIDS organization. His chosen family members even encourage Michael to start dating again, but emotionally he is far from ready to take this step.
In his recovery process, Michael finds help from the same family of choice who saw Jon through his final illness. The family’s matriarch is the nonjudgmental, unconditionally loving Anna Madrigal, a pot-smoking, transsexual landlady in her sixties. In her presence Michael feels protected and mothered: “He sat there in the musty embrace of Mrs. Madrigal’s sofa and counted his blessings while she puttered about in the kitchen.” Anna also gives Michael $1,000 toward a therapeutic trip to England.
On his vacation, Michael is helped by another family member, Mona Ramsey. Actually Anna Madrigal’s blood-related child, Mona is a lesbian who lives in a castle in England. Mona welcomes Michael and a friend of his, offering unconditional love similar to Mrs. Madrigal’s.
Anna, Mona, and the other members of Michael’s chosen family continue to encourage Michael in his recovery. They also function as a group that must take concrete steps of its own to recover from the loss of Jon. Thus, the family absorbs two new members during the novel. One is a black, gay, teenaged orphan whom Michael meets in England. Mona shelters, mothers, and eventually adopts the teenager. The second is the newborn daughter of an acquaintance who dies in childbirth. Brian and Mary Ann adopt Shawna, the newborn, and name Michael her godparent.
By the novel’s end, the rest of the chosen family has made clear progress in recovering from Jon’s death. Michael, although less emotionally hollow than in the beginning of the novel, remains fearful of resuming life.
Bibliography
Block, Adam. “Out on the Town.” Mother Jones, November, 1989, 54.
O’Connor, John. “Back to Free-Spirited San Francisco of the 70’s.” The New York Times, January 10, 1994, p. C11.
Spain, Tom. “A Talk with Armistead Maupin.” Publishers Weekly, March, 1987, 53-54.