Books like Letters of Ayn Rand

This is a fascinating book. The letters cover Rand's personal and professional life, including her relationships, her fiction, and her philosophy. I learned much that I hadn't known about her time working as a screenwriter and the research she did for Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.Many of the letters are almost like getting a one-on-one tutorial from an amazing writer. She talks about plot, theme, developing characters. Some letters offer critiques of newer writers' works and even without reading the work being discussed, I found the comments helpful and insightful. I also was fascinated by the letters regarding marketing her writing. In one letter, Rand presents a very detailed marketing plan for her fiction, including identifying her target readers and discussing how they should be reached. Plus there are numerous letters where she discusses her reactions to various actual and proposed ads. As someone who loves Rand's fiction, I found her letters about her characters and her plot choices fascinating, as well as the information on why she chose certain themes and settings. I also loved learning more about her views on and involvement in the movie version of The Fountainhead. The letters also include information about her life in the Soviet Union, her attempts to connect with family and friends still there, and the roots of her views on communism and capitalism. Many letters show Rand discussing her philosophy and how it applies to life, both with people who seek to understand Objectivism better and those who disagree with her. The latter are the most interesting.I highly recommend this book to any writer, anyone who loves Rand's fiction, and anyone who is interested in her philosophy. I not only learned a great deal, I felt inspired. I wish I could have met her.