Thomas Barnard

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"It certainly held my attention and it reads quickly. I don't know any book quite like it...the mixed genres worked well...All told, it's quite an achievement."
Tim Redman, author of Ezra Pound and Italian Fascism and President of PEN Texas

Stephen Ambrose is a missile programmer in love with his psychiatrist. Little by little he finally realizes nothing can happen with her, and he learns the tango. Tango leads to learning Spanish, and ultimately to Buenos Aires. On the last night of a trip to BA he meets the dance partner of his dreams, but she lives in Amsterdam. Naturally, that leads to a trip to Holland, but imagine his shock when he learns that his dream partner from Buenos Aires not only lives in Amsterdam, but works in the red light district.

During the course of Stephen's path to Amsterdam, he chums around with a Korean auto parts distributor, an intelligence agent who would like his missile secrets, and moonlights writing science fiction about aliens with expanding brains based on something he learned from nature, exploring in the process the notion of intelligence.

Thomas Barnard was born in Chicago, and lives in nearby Oak Park. He was first published by Saul Bellow in The Republic of Letters.

For those within striking distance of Oak Park, check out The Book Table, a bookstore rated #1 in the Chicago Reader poll. I highly recommend it. They're very resourceful book buyers with a very interesting inventory, nice prices, and a store with an agreeable ambience.