Art Appreciation is a novel that sprang from an incident in my life when I was 16 years old. I had just gotten my driver's license in January, and my mother and I drove to her birthplace in Northwest Iowa. She let me drive most of the way. I had an annoying speech stutter at that time, and, as I paid for snacks at a convenience store, I chatted with the cute cashier. I spoke in a bad British accent because I didn't stutter then, and, when she asked me what part of England I was from, I said, "London," grabbed the bag of chips and got out of there. The protagonist in my novel had a similar solution to his stutter, but, on a European trip to somehow justify his accent, he ended up stealing a few paintings from an art museum in Amsterdam. A confused free-spirit, this act introduced him into the art theft world back in the States in Boston.
Important events further shape Dam's and the underworld business' life, and dramatic changes in both put Dam on the path of a more honest existence—on his terms. There are moments of thrilling chase, interesting glimpses into Dam's singular character, and a clever solution to return to being true to himself.
Print and electronic version are available.
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