Fiction. Translated from the Greek by Diane Thiel. This novel continues to examine the basic themes that are persistent in all of Stamatis' works of fiction: an all-consuming past, the flight to escape one's personal demons, and, most importantly, the search for personal identity that is ultimately revealed only through what is unknown to the self. The treatment of these themes is also characteristic of the author's other novels travel narrative on the surface, mystery or thriller with an existential dimension at another level, but ultimately a quest for self-discovery and personal redemption. American Fugue is one of the first books supported by the National Endowment for the Arts International Literature Awards program. Alexis Stamatis has been hailed as one of the most gifted writers of his generation (Françoise Noiville, Le Monde) in both Greece and Europe. His work has not yet been published in America and thus has been mostly inaccessible to US readers. Amerikaniki Fouga (American Fugue), published in 2006, is Alexis Stamatis' most recent work.

Born in 1960, Stamatis is the author of eight novels and novellas, as well as six collections of poetry. He has worked as a journalist, literary critic, and architect. His achievements include the 1st Award of the City of Athens for his poetry and the International Literary Award of the National Endowment for the Arts for American Fugue.