To Ruth E. Meilandt [Letter 228]

Ruth Meilandt, a manager at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, was one of the six “Pamphleteers” (who included Leonard Read) who comprised Pamphleteers, Inc., and handled much of the organization’s business matters.

AYN RAND
10000 Tampa Avenue
Chatsworth, California

July 3, 1946

Miss Ruth E. Meilandt
Pamphleteers, Inc.
1151 South Broadway
Los Angeles 15, California

Dear Miss Meilandt:

Thank you for your letter of July 2nd. I am returning the proof of the cover of ANTHEM which you sent me.

I am sorry to say that I do not like the cover. I object to it for three reasons:

1. It is not well designed, because the actual focus of attention is the large blank space,

2. The title, ANTHEM, being in handwriting is hard to distinguish at a glance, and the kind of handwriting chosen makes it particularly illegible,

3. The words, Author of THE FOUNTAINHEAD, should be in much larger type, larger than the one used for my name, because it is actually THE FOUNTAINHEAD that will help us to sell this pamphlet.

I would strongly recommend that you have another design made for the cover. I had given Mr. Read my proposed suggestion of the way the cover should look, and he had told me that that would be the design used. I do think that plain, clearly cut print is always much more effective than printed handwriting.

If you are already committed to the cover you sent me and it can not be redesigned, then of the two possibilities, I prefer your suggestion with the title slanted across the page. It does look better than the first proof, but I would feel much happier if the cover were redesigned, omitting the handwriting.

Sincerely,

Ayn Rand