To Ev Suffens [Letter 233]

[Page 1]
AYN RAND
10000 Tampa Avenue
Chatsworth, California

July 19, 1946 

Mr. Raymond E. Nelson
341 Madison Avenue
New York 17, New York

Dear Ev: 

I was delighted to hear from you—and all my congratulations on your new business. As far as I can guess, I think you are the type who should do best on your own—your talents are really wasted on taking somebody else’s orders. 

You have my permission to do a television performance of NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH, and you may have it royalty free if you are to be the producer yourself (if it is a commercial production, by somebody else, then I want to be paid, being capitalistic minded). You understand, of course, that I give you this permission for just the one performance, and it does not involve the sale of television rights to the people or the producer or the broadcasting company who will do it. 

I have written to Miss Jean Macy of the Ann Watkins office to let you have the script of the play, when you call for it. 

As to the billing, I want my name to be mentioned as the author of the play from which the television adaptation is made, on the air and in the publicity. You may announce the play as “by Ayn Rand, author of THE FOUNTAINHEAD”, if you find this advisable, and if it will help the show in any way for publicity purposes. I will leave that up to you.

As to “What’s with us”—we are having a wonderful time right now, because I am working on my next novel, and I am not due back at the studio until later in the Fall. I am doing quite well with the novel at the moment, and I strongly suspect that it will be the kind which you’ll like. I miss New York terribly, but California is almost bearable for the present, since I am so busy. Believe it or not, I have learned to do a little gardening, and spend some of my time as a weed exterminator. This is not too far removed from my literary activity either. Frank is a complete gentleman farmer, and our estate has grown into a zoo of every kind of exotic bird you can imagine—even a man secretary, to whom I am dictating this. 

I don’t know whether I will be able to come to New York this Fall, but would like to if it is possible. In the

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Page 2     Mr. Raymond Nelson     7-19-46

meantime, why don’t you write to me once in a while? As you see, I am answering promptly. As one of your early admirers, I would like to know how your progress is in the new business. 

Oscar and Oswald send their very special regards, and the same from both of us to the three of you. 

Sincerely,

Ayn Rand