Barbara Branden RIP


Marc

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This is terrible news. Barbara had been a good friend to me since 1971. I enjoyed the 2 years we worked together on Academic Associates "Book News" during the early 1970s, when she gave me a lot of encouragement and suggestions about my writing. We kept in fairly close touch, often speaking on the phone, until around 3 years ago.

Ghs

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Becky and I met Barbara personally in 2006, though we had corresponded via email for a number of years prior to that. We had several excursions with her to one of her favorite West Hollywood hangouts, which she referred to as "Chez Hamburger Hamlet," and we enjoyed several discussions with her afterward in her apartment, which looked startlingly larger than it really was, due to the huge mirror on the wall opposite her large bookcase. It was my great thrill to collaborate with her in convincing Nathaniel to publish my transcriptions of his Basic Principles lectures, and I hope that the transcription I did for Barbara of her Efficient Thinking lectures will eventually see print as well. Their work from that era so long ago is a very imnportant part of the Objectivist legacy, and though some of it is sadly lost, what survived is, like Aristotle's extant works, "for the ages." Becky and I had not seen Barbara since our move from Southern California to Tennessee in mid-2010, due to Barbara's illness during a subsequent visit we paid to Nathaniel, and we had really hoped we'd see her at least one more time next summer. Alas, that is not to be. We'll greatly miss her.

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I never knew Ms. Branden, neither online nor in person. I do, however, occasionally browse the archives at Rebirth of Reason and I've always looked forward to reading her posts. Her posts are both informative and, more importantly, interesting. She could say so much in so few words, which is great for a guy like me because I don't have the patience to read giant walls of text. She even made a biography interesting to read. Though, it was about an interesting life, it is still quite a feat to make a biography interesting.

When I learned of her death, I felt a subtle sadness. Though, I'm not certain why. I suppose I just enjoyed her work.

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A lovely, wise, and gracious lady. I will miss her voice here. My condolences to those who loved her.

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I was having dinner with Barbara , Nathaniel , Leigh , my daughter Kira , and I believe a few more people 2 years ago . There was a very smart young man from Harvard . His parents went to MIT . They studied glaciers and global warming . Barbara and the young man ( I apologize that I forgot his name ) were fighting ( it was heated ) about global warming , capitalism and other issues . One issue was a voluntary fire department in a town and who would fund it and work there , etc . Barbara destroyed this young man . He was livid , standing up and screaming . Nathaniel got a bit upset and told him to calm down in his house . It was a great night . Watching Barbara rationally tear this kids beliefs apart one by one in the most calm , rational , precise , respectful way was a delight to have witnessed .

My daughter Kira-16 at the time told Barbara when we drove her home that night that she was the most intelligent person she had ever met .

That was true , and ditto for me .

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She was always a pleasure to interact with online. I almost met her in person a couple times, but alas it was not to be. It's sad that she won't get to see the 3rd Atlas movie installment, she obviously loved what she saw so far.

http://www.objectivistliving.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10200&hl=

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Dear Barbara,

Rest in peace. I enjoyed the few exchanges we had on here. I wish I'd had the chance to meet you in person, to get to know you better. Your presence will be missed.

Darrell

That says it for me, also. She was a very smart lady. The only other correspondent like that I met on hpo a text exchange forum. There was a lady named Dorothy Fanyo who was sharp the the way Barbara was. She was not an Objectivist but she sympathized with the pro liberty sentiments of Objectivism as do I. One day we got a posting from her son on HPO saying she died was logged into HPO. He found her slumped over her key board. I must say, that upset me. I never met Dorothy but I exchanged ideas with her a lot.

It is amazing how close one can get to people through correspondence rather than in person encounter.

Ba'al Chatzaf

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She appeared to me as an austere beauty and her mind only confirmed her beauty.

I launch you forward with all my love Barbara...go forth and prosper...

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She appeared to me as an austere beauty and her mind only confirmed her beauty.

I launch you forward with all my love Barbara...go forth and prosper...

Do you believe in an Afterlife?

Ba'al Chatzaf

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