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Libertarian
satires of Ayn Rand extend at least as far back as Jerome Tuccille's
nonfiction
It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand (1971). Such works appeal to
libertarians' conflicted admiration for Rand; her books inspired many
readers to trek down the intellectual path to libertarianism, yet
Rand's authoritarian personal life was a Stalinist parody of her
individualist philosophy (e.g., her living room "show trials" of
acolytes who'd violated the Objectivist "party line").
Rand herself was not conflicted over libertarians,
whom she called "a random collection of hippies of the right."
In 1976, she enthusiastically supported Gerald Ford for president over
both Reagan and Carter, never mind the Libertarian Party's Roger
MacBride.
Nor did Rand share many a libertarians'
self-deprecating humor, which she regarded as a form of "sanction
of the victim." She had reputedly said that "Laughing at
yourself is like spitting in your own face."
Who would John Galt laugh at? Not himself,
certainly.
But all this history is mostly unknown to outsiders,
who often confuse Rand's Objectivism with libertarianism. Thus it
might surprise Gene H. Bell-Villada (a National Book Critics Circle
Award finalist and, one presumes, a good progressive) to learn that
many libertarians will delight in his "The
Pianist Who Liked Ayn Rand," a 63-page novella that also lends its
title to his 13-piece collection.
The novella will resonate with libertarians. Many of us
have seen, or read of, or heard of real-life versions of
Bell-Villada's characters. (I had a high school classmate who turned
"Randroid" for a few years.) In "The Pianist," a university music
student studies Rand to impress an Objectivist coed. But despite
mastering an ability to spout boilerplate Objectivism, his amorous
advances fall short of the Roarkian aggression needed to impress the
coed.
Most of Bell-Villada's protagonists are nerdy Latinos;
bookish beta males with a love of classical music. In "The Prize" a
Puerto Rican boy is obsessed with a classical music radio station. But
when he finally finds the courage to call the station and win a
classical recording, it turns out to be an LP -- and his family's
record player only accepts 78s. In "The Customer" a lonely engineer
spends every Saturday savoring The New Yorker -- articles,
advertising, and all. His admiration for an unseen model's legs
inspires him to drive to the liquor store and see if he can find a
display ad featuring that same model.
In Randian terms, Bell-Villada's stories are
naturalistic rather than romantic. Brief sketches of ordinary people
pursuing minor dreams, defeated by petty, random events. His stories
are satirical, minimalist, and literary. The sort of "slices of life"
favored by university presses. Heavy on character rather than plot.
The Pianist Who Liked Ayn Rand was published in 1998. It might be
out of print, but inexpensive used copies are available on Amazon.
Some of its stories are better than others, but libertarians shouldn't
care. "The Pianist Who Liked Ayn Rand" alone is worth the price.
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