To James C. Ingebretsen [Letter 226]

James Ingebretsen was an attorney and one of the “Pamphleteers,” the activist group that published Anthem in 1946. 

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AYN RAND
10000 Tampa Avenue
Chatsworth, California
June 24, 1946

Mr. James C. Ingebretsen
1075 Subway Terminal Building
417 South Hill Street
Los Angeles 13, California

Dear Mr. Ingebretsen:

I am enclosing your draft of a pamphlet for ANTHEM. I think it is excellent on the whole, and whoever wrote this is a good press agent. I have made a few minor corrections, which I have listed separately on the enclosed page. The numbers I have marked on the pamphlet correspond to the numbers of the paragraphs which I think should replace the passages I have crossed out.

To give you my reasons for these changes:

1. The sentence, “Can such things ever come to pass”, on the cover of the pamphlet is a little bewildering as it stands. I have shown it to three people, and all had the impression that “such things” referred either to ANTHEM, to Ayn Rand or to THE FOUNTAINHEAD—since there is no indication that it refers to the content of ANTHEM. Therefore, I think it would be better to omit it entirely or to substitute the paragraph I have marked as #1.

2. “A novelette you will never forget!” is not too good, because it rhymes, and because it has been said about books very often. My suggested paragraph #2 would make the definition of the story a little more interesting.

3. I have reworded the third paragraph on page 2 of the pamphlet in order to make it clearer that ANTHEM is a fiction story and not a non-fiction treatise.

I would suggest very strongly that you omit from page 3 the line, “Order copies now at the special low quantity rates.” It sounds a little bit shocking and improper after your last paragraph on page 2. It has too much the tone of a special bargain sale. I don’t think it is necessary, since your first paragraph on this page followed by the order blank conveys and implies the same thing more tactfully.

At the top of page 2, the line, “Too daring for 1937”,

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Page 2     Mr. Ingebretsen     6-24-46

is very good and intriguing, but the line following it, “Too incredible”, weakens the effect by qualifying it. I suggest that you eliminate this last.

For a minor correction, it would be better if you did not say, “Her U. S. publishers turned it down”, because my publishers at the time was Macmillan, but people would suppose that the accusation is against Bobbs-Merrill; so it is best to have the line read merely, “U. S. publishers turned it down.”

I am enclosing a photograph of myself, which I presume you will need for the space you have indicated on the cover.

I would appreciate it very much if you will let me see a proof of this pamphlet before you have it run off in quantity.

I am very happy to have ANTHEM published by Pamphleteers, Inc., and I wish a great success to all of us.

With best regards to Mrs. Ingebretsen and yourself.

Sincerely,

Ayn Rand

Ingebretsen responded on June 27, 1946, accepting all of AR’s suggestions.