Night of January 16th

Book Cover: The faces of two women, probably Karen Andre and Nancy Lee Faulkner, with a city street between them. Both women look like they each downed a handful of Xanax.

Author: Ayn Rand. Do you think Ayn Rand liked The Muppet Show? Because I think a segment where Rand sings a song about Objectivism with, like, Sweetums and Sam the Eagle would have been amazing. Oh, and you know what else? Ayn Rand on Sesame Street, teaching kids that sharing is okay, but as long as you get however many cookies you want first. I think she’d love the Cookie Monster.

COOKIE MONSTER WILL SHARE COOKIES WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER

Category: Courtroom Drama, American Drama, MURDER

Why I Read It: I’m still in the middle of Rand Land, and I decided to go to the theater.

Reading Time Period: December 12 and December 13, 2010

Book Printing and Condition: Printed in 1968 by Signet. Old but in very strong condition.

Where I bought it: Phoenix, for $2.49.

Thoughts: Short little thoughts for a short little play, which is nice given the massive project I’ve taken on with Atlas Shrugged and I will be starting We the Living next. And it’s almost just your basic, courtroom drama. Lots of ‘We objects!’ and people screaming at each other and dramatic revelations and a damned Perry Mason moment (“I did it! Mwuhahaha!”) What makes it Ayn Rand is the fact that really, you as the audience decide if the defendant guilty based on whether or not you agree with Objectivism. It’s like a precursor to the trials of Howard Roark.

The end is set up for both verdicts from the volunteer jury, although there isn’t much after the ending. I would have voted Not Guilty, not so much because I agree with objectivism (not that I don’t, exactly, or do, exactly. It’s complicated) but because in the end when you’re on a jury it’s all about proving someone guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and whatever else was going on here, there was PLENTY of reasonable doubt. Actually, I’m pretty sure Whitfield DID kill him, because, frankly, what an ass.