As a writer, Ayn Rand knew the creative process from the inside; as a philosopher, she considered it necessary to comprehend it. Why is Anna Karenina the most harmful work of world literature, and Victor Hugo the greatest romantic writer? What is the purpose of art and who is its main enemy? Can art be considered the “handmaiden” of morality and what does it have in common with romantic love? With uncompromising honesty, the author answers these and other questions and breaks through the foggy haze that traditionally envelops the subject of art. Contents Contents Introduction 71. Psychoepistemology of art 112. Philosophy and sense of life 223. Art and the feeling of life 324. Art and knowledge 445. Basic principles of literature 826. What is romanticism? 1007. Aesthetic vacuum of our time 1238. Contraband romance 1299. Art and moral betrayal 14210. Preface to the novel “The Ninety-Third Year” 15411. Why am I writing 16312. Simpler than ever 175 Subject index 188