To Raymond B. Young, Jr., a fan [Letter 328]

March 6, 1948 

Dear Mr. Young: 

Thank you for your letter. I am glad that you liked THE FOUNTAINHEAD, and if you are an individualist, I would like to think that you understood its thesis.

You will grant that it is hard for me to judge your convictions from your letter. You say that “the struggles of your first-handers for recognition are walks through flower gardens when I compare them to mine,” and “you ought to see what fate and the Ellsworth Tooheys have done to me at 26!” I do not think that my first-handers were walking through flower gardens at 26. And neither was I.

If you are an individualist, I can well believe that you are having a terrible struggle. I think I know how terrible it can be, and I also know that it is much too early to become embittered or discouraged. 

If I understand you correctly, I think I do know the kind of intellectual loneliness you speak about, and I can appreciate your desire to meet another individualist. As you see, I cannot arrange to meet you at present, since I live in California, but I will be glad to do it on my next visit East, if I find that we are really in agreement philosophically. If you would care to send me one of your books, the one you consider most representative of your convictions, I will be glad to read it, and it will give me some idea of your philosophy. 

I am enclosing a printed letter about THE FOUNTAINHEAD that may interest you.  

Sincerely,

Ayn Rand