Ayn Rand: My Fiction-Writing Teacher

by Erika Holzer

As "Ayn My Fiction-Writing Teacher," subtitled "A novelist's mentor-protege relationship with the author of 'Atlas Shrugged'," suggests, Holzer's unique personal relationship with Rand enabled Holzer to learn fiction writing at her mentor's knee. Both literary autobiography and touching tribute, it explores the creative process at work from both Rand's AND Holzer's perspectives.

Genres: Writing

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2005

About the author

Erika Holzer received her B.S. from Cornell University and her law degree from New York University.

For several years following her admission to the New York bar, she practiced constitutional and appellate law with Henry Mark Holzer. Their clients included Soviet dissidents and defectors, and other lawyers for whom they prepared appellate briefs and Petitions for Certiorari for the Supreme Court of the United States.

One of the Holzer firm’s clients (and later friend) was the novelist, Ayn Rand. Because of Rand’s literary influence, Erika Holzer switched careers from law to writing.

With Henry Mark Holzer, she co-authored “Aid and Comfort”: Jane Fonda in North Vietnam, proving that Jane Fonda’s trip to Hanoi during the Vietnam War, and her activities there, constituted constitutional treason.

Again with Henry Mark Holzer, Erika co-authored Fake Warriors: Identifying, Exposing, and Punishing Those Who Falsify Their Military Service.

Her other non-fiction writing consists of essays, articles, reviews, political and legal commentary.

In addition, Erika is author of the book Ayn Rand: My Fiction-Writing Teacher: A novelist’s mentor-protégé relationship with the author of Atlas Shrugged.