Summary of Ayn Rand Interviewed with Mickey Spillane by Mike Wallace

00:00:00 - 00:30:00

In this interview, Ayn Rand and Mickey Spillane discuss their admiration for each other, their views on the importance of writing, and their respective philosophies. Rand argues that Objectivism will help free society from collectivism and the worship of physical force, while Spillane discusses his view of the hero.

• 00:00:00 Ayn Rand and Mickey Spillane discuss the best living writer in the world today. Rand argues that Mickey Spillane is the best because of his plot structure, sense of drama, and color.
• 00:05:00 Ayn Rand and Mickey Spillane discuss the concept of the hero, with Rand stating that her idea of the hero is the same as Spillane's, but with every concrete being different. Rand believes that a man of self-esteem will also know that if he wants something, it's up to him to achieve it. Self-esteem is attained by knowing one's own knowledge and reality, and accepting the responsibility of one's own moral and intellectual judgment.
• 00:10:00 Ayn Rand and Mickey Spillane discuss how they became storytellers. Spillane says that he started out as a prankster and then realized that stories could be more exciting than the mundane lives of adults around him. Rand says that her motive was to look up and aspire to be like the heroes she read about in her fiction.
• 00:15:00 Ayn Rand discusses her admiration for Mickey Spillane as a writer, public figures, and the importance of changing the philosophy of our culture. Rand believes that Objectivism and its principles will help free society from collectivism and the worship of physical force.
• 00:20:00 <could not summarize>
• 00:25:00 Ayn Rand and Mickey Spillane discuss writing, criticism, and success. Rand says success is proof of something, and that the majority of people are not corrupt enough to want to exist without values. This is evidenced by the success of her books and the lack of success of the Modern Fashionable Intellectuals.
• 00:30:00 In this interview, Mickey Spillane and Ayn Rand discuss the importance of writing, and how it differs from other fields. Rand also praises Howard Hughes for his attitude and success, even in the face of adversity.