Tours of the Tales

331 Filbert

Wayne Stevens whom he had met at Harvey Milk’s memorial service.  Wayne eventually moved out of Gabriel’s and into a studio apartment of his own across the Steps from Gabriel’s. 

Wayne referred to living amidst the vegetation below Coit Tower as living “in its pubic hair.”    

Now, there’s a visual for you.

In real life, Daniel Katz, a close friend of Armistead Maupin lived across the steps from this location.  

It was at Harvey Milk’s memorial service that Armistead met a man who would also become a dear friend: Steve Berry.  At the memorial service, Steve found himself alone.  He spotted a familiar face, walked up to the individual, and asked, “You’re Armistead Maupin, aren’t you?”  (Armistead Maupin, by Patrick Gale, p. 81)

There is an ironic story about Steve and Harvey Milk:  the morning that Milk was assassinated, Steve’s housemate took a phone message for Steve from Milk proposing a date later that night.  

331 Filbert Steps

This is one of five places on Telegraph Hill that Armistead Maupin called home.  This is the first of the three homes included on this tour.

Incidents that occurred while Armistead lived here were later woven into The Night Listener:

Prior to meeting Jess Carmody, Gabriel Noone lived on the Filbert Steps.  For a while, he shared his flat with his friend

Steve became the model for Wayne Stevens in The Night Listener.  For a short time, Steve lived with Armistead here at 331 Filbert on the third floor.  Steve had referred to living in that apartment below Coit Tower as living “in its public hair.”  Steve had a great love of comic strips.  Shortly after Daniel Katz vacated the studio apartment across the steps, Steve moved into it.  Steve took an Alaskan cruise and Armistead made an Alaskan cruise central to the Further Tales of the City storyline.  Armistead dedicated Further Tales of the City to Steve.

And like Wayne Stevens, Steve Berry was lying near death on the sofa bed in his apartment across the steps when he was found by Armistead and Terry Anderson.  Steve was carried down the Filbert Steps to a waiting ambulance as was Wayne.  And like Wayne, a rose bush was planted over Steve’s ashes in the garden of Steve’s former residence.