Born in 1950, curiosity was, and continues to be the catalyst for a life of discovery, rich in both diversity and reward.  "Throughout," Brooke admits, "I've  been fascinated by the disparity of our human nature." 

In 1984 the call of the highway led from Vancouver, Canada, to Key West, Florida.  This was a heady and adventurous time in the Keys; Mel Fisher had discovered the Atocha; smuggling and piracy were making a comeback, thanks to the country's thirst for 'controlled substances' amid a climate of unbridled hedonism.

While sampling the "tropical life" (shark hunting, marine salvage, and working on fishing boats), Babineau met playwright Budd Schulberg, who immediately warmed to a kindred creative spirit and encouraged him to develop the stories they discussed. Below Mile Zero was conceived that night.  After accumulating the local legends, lies, and lore that defines the substance of the novel, the first draft was completed seven years later in the Brackendale artist colony in the Tantalus Mountains of British Columbia.

Brooke's writing also includes poetry, short stories, screenplays, commercials, corporate signature video productions, and Ulysses Davis, The Vision of an American Folk Artist, the Cultural Olympiad documentary for 1996 Olympic celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

( A more complete biography is available upon request.)