Hi,
Just coming out of lurker mode because of the Ayn Rand theme -
>From what I've read (in the biographical work Pentimento by Lillian
Hellman, whom I like much better), Ayn joined in with the most virulent
of the Red-baiters - protesting the first US appearance of a Soviet
classical musician (Horowitz?), heckling outside his hotel window, etc.
And worse, cooperating with the Committee, which at its peak was as wretched as
Stalinism. Freedom? The American Way? Everything in its extreme becomes its
opposite, as the Buddhists say.
Everybody has their weaknesses, and interesting, complex people can have some
difficult aspect to their character - Joni included. But those McCarthyite
creeps did a lot of damage to innocent people, so Ayn is greatly worsened by
her association with them in my mind. I can turn off completely to an artist
because of stuff like that - probably we all have at some point, due to some
issue we just can't overlook.
My two cents worth.
