Pouring Into Two New Biographies on Ayn Rand

Since there has been such a resurgence of interest in Ayn Rand’s ideas in the US, it is no surprise that there are a lot more people curious about Ayn Rand, the person. And it is a curiosity that now has two fresh answers in the form of ‘Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the Conservative Right’ by Jennifer Burns, and ‘Ayn Rand and the World She Made’ by Anne C. Heller. Both these simultaneously released books are biographical works about the iconic author, and from the reviews and interviews I have read, there are a few reasons why they will both make for some very interesting reading.

For one, neither of the two writers were personal associates of Rand, unlike Nathaniel Branden, Barbara Branden, Mary Ann Sures and Leonard Peikoff, who have all given some account of Rand, the person. As a result, instead of being fully or partially in the form of memoirs, these books are wholly biographical. While they don’t have the inimitable insight of someone who has directly known and observed the subject, the advantage is that they are both based on thorough research. Both the authors have been commended for the pains they have been through to reconstruct every little detail of Rand’s life, right from her early days in Russia. And Jennifer Burns, a rigorous academic, and Anne Heller, a journalist, had the skills to bring forth previously unknown (or little known) details. According to reviews, Anne scores with Ayn Rand’s early life. She actually investigated in Russia itself, trying to trace whatever leads there were to Rand’s youth. The previously known sketchy details have been fleshed out to reveal a total picture. Burns, on the other hand, spent years going through every written word Rand ever wrote, including unpublished letters and journals. She had access to all of Rand’s original writing in the Ayn Rand archives, and uses this first hand opportunity to pour into the author’s personality. They both conducted several hundred hours of interviews, and so the word goes, are the first to come up with a comprehensive factual presentation of Rand’s life and the Objectivist movement that grew around her.

The other aspect of this that would interest readers is that neither Jennifer Burns nor Anne Heller have anything to do with Objectivism, as a philosophical system and movement. Neither of them have been significantly influenced by Rand in the development of their lives and minds, and they don’t count themselves amongst Objectivists. In fact, they are not only the first ones outside this movement to comment on Rand’s life, but also the first ones outside it to comment on the various splits, irreconcilable differences and divisions that have plagued Objectivism. As a result, one does not have any reason to suspect a motivation to distort facts. And since, according to reviews, both the books are fact oriented, for the first time one may have a complete account to make a clear, informed judgment about the Rand-Branden split and the series of divisions that followed.

Talking about facts, Burns brings up a disturbing one when she writes that Rand’s original text published in The Journals of Ayn Rand and other posthumous publications has been altered in several places without any editorial comment or note. She has mentioned some of these changes, and given evidence of how, at some places, the original meaning has been significantly altered. Eventually, she concludes, most of the posthumous publications cannot be treated as authentically from Rand’s pen. This is a very serious criticism leveled at those managing Ayn Rand’s estate. However, she also mentions that she was impressed with the professionalism with which the Ayn Rand Archives are currently being managed.

Importantly, they have both come in for serious criticism from Objectivists on their assertions about Rand’s writing style, the purpose and content of her philosophy and her personality. It seems that both books have an underlying tragic tone. But these are not necessarily the reasons why someone well-versed with Rand’s philosophy should dismiss these biographies. Rand’s philosophy and writing style are no mystery, and one doesn’t need these books to make a judgment. What these supposedly offer are clear facts about Rand’s life, which, if true, is an invaluable contribution for those interested in the mind that conceived of Atlas Shrugged.

Here are some useful resources for those interested in finding out more about both these books:

1. Here is the Amazon page devoted to Anne Heller’s book. It has an interview with the author.
2. Here is a New York Times comparative review of both the biographies.
3. Here is a very detailed and well-constructed criticism of Jennifer Burns’ book by writer Jeff Perren.
4. Here is an article based on an interview with Jennifer Burns.