Half of Nothing

Samuel Tarnopolsky was born in Bernasconi, La Pampa, Argentina, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Tarnopolsky was a celebrated rheumatologist, finishing his studies in Buenos Aires in 1933 and continuing to practice, write, and teach. He wrote extensively on rheumatology as well as on indigenous medicines. He also made a name for himself as a historian, social commentator, and novelist. His primary subjects were the conquistadores, the Pampas Indians, Jewish Argentines, and Argentine antisemitism, which he found especially distressing in people who were perceived to be honorable and indeed liberal.