Excerpts from a letter that was forwarded to us:
My parents split in the United States way back in February 1960. My mother went to New York, we children (one boy and two girls aged 7,6,5) stayed back in the Chicago vicinity with my father and his bookstore. Years later we moved to Germany and as I grew up I took up searching for our mom, who never had left my mind. In the beginning my efforts were timid for fear she might reject any contact — thus maybe losing her for good. Later I realized I would have to do throw those fears overboard if I wanted to have a chance at all.
I pictured my mother always with a book in her hand and managed to detect book titles on old photographs which helped me to know just a tiny bit more. This way and with the help of other bits of information I discovered that Ayn Rand had become important to her shortly around the time of the divorce. A bit of research revealed that “Avis M. Brick” later became the manager of the NBI Book Service (ca. 1967). Furthermore she is said to have assisted Joan Kennedy Taylor together with David Dawson editing the magazine “Persuasion” (1965-1968). These are real clues, but I actually have lost track beyond the year 1969. Did Avis stay engaged to Objectivism? Did she make friends there, maybe marry again? Did she change her name? Did she stay in New York? — Is she still on earth?
[…]It also must be said that I am aware that I would have to leave it up to Avis alone to decide whether she wishes any contact at all.
But I would defininitely like her to know I have highest respect for her early made decisions and it would mean a world to me to meet her in the end.
There’s currently no one named “Avis” in the Atlasphere. If you have any leads, please contact us and we’ll pass along the information.