 Since the galleys included a foreword by novelist Paul Monette, a close friend of Maupin, and an afterword by Fred Rogers of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" fame, he had no reason to doubt the story's veracity.Maupin was impressed with the maturity of the boy's writing and called him.The two quickly developed a close telephone relationship, and Maupin frequently discussed the boy's various physical ailments (he had been diagnosed with AIDS) with his adopted mother, Vicki Johnson.