As a public speaker, Ayn Rand demonstrated the application of philosophy to human life—whatever the topic, the time period or the audience. From her first lecture (New York, 1936) to her last (New Orleans, 1981), her procedure was consistent: she offered new, true and important insights about her chosen subject—in the light of principles unlimited by any particular subject.

This lecture will examine her public speaking—the reasons for her choice of topics and venues—including her lectures on Soviet Russia, her campaign speeches for Wendell Willkie, her talks about The Fountainhead, her lectures at colleges and universities—and her seventeen appearances at the Ford Hall Forum in Boston. It will also consider how she prepared her talks and how her public speaking was related to the overall goal of her writing.