The images above are responses from Ralph Ellison and Ray Bradbury to Bruce McAllister, a high school student and budding writer who mailed 150 well-known authors a questionnaire about symbolism. Bruce received a surprising amount of letters in return, including responses from Jack Kerouac, Saul Bellow, and a hilariously rude Ayn Rand (who nonetheless answered all his questions). You can see more letters at the Paris Review.
This is one of the most interesting things I've read in a long time! I wonder what kind of mood Ayn Rand was in that she not only wrote such a terse "response," but also bought a stamp, and licked an envelope shut to make sure he knew exactly what she thought of his questions.
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