In the summer of 1999, on invitation, I traveled and painted in Hungary. My first time in an Eastern European country, vivid impressions opened new ideas. People not obsessed  by youth and money gave birth to other slants on reality. Focus bent towards art, politics and economics.   Vanessa, my niece who grew up in America, is half-Hungarian. I wanted to find the connection between her  past and that of her forefathers, who came in part from the Hungarian Gypsies. They gave new hope for their future to these new young Americans. The rawness in their truth, the beauty of their intence acceptance, the trickery, all inspired me to write my first book.