About Kaitlyn Bankson

Kaitlyn Bankson is an American novelist who writes psychological literary fiction for the individualist. Influenced by Objectivism and the tradition of Romantic Realism, her novels explore the individual mind under pressure—examining fear, independence, love, morality, artistic conviction, and the pursuit of a flourishing life.

She considers Ayn Rand her literary mother and Fyodor Dostoevsky her literary father: two profoundly different writers whose explorations of individualism, free will, moral choice, psychological conflict, and the depths of human consciousness have shaped her approach to fiction.

A Literary Life

Kaitlyn studied literature and philosophy throughout her education, helping to shape a creative voice deeply interested in the individual, the workings of the human mind, and the role of ideas in human life.

Her fiction is psychologically driven and centers on individuals confronting fear, dependency, moral choices, artistic beliefs, love, and the struggle to live according to their values. Her characters are often placed under intense psychological pressure, where their choices reveal what they value, what they fear, and who they might become.

Her literary work spans poetry, nonfiction, short stories, novellas, and novels. Her published works include Metamorphosis: An Anthology of Poems; Unveiled: An Anthology of Nonfiction; Urgency: An Anthology of Short Stories; Marginalia from the Snake Pit: A Novella; The Paper Pusher; The Dormant Age; A Man of Silence; A Man of Action; and Nest.

Psychological Literary Fiction for the Individualist

At the heart of Kaitlyn's fiction is the individual: the private consciousness struggling to understand itself, make choices, pursue values, and build a meaningful life.

In Nest, an expectant mother confronts an overwhelming anxiety she calls "the Fear" while discovering moments of peace through the deeply human impulse to prepare a home for her unborn child.

In The Dormant Age, a young ballerina must choose between opposing artistic visions of classical and modern ballet, even if remaining true to her convictions may cost her a professional career.

In The Paper Pusher, a young woman struggles to escape a lifetime of dependency and manipulation, only to confront the question of whether romantic love will lead her toward independence—or merely become another form of dependence.

Across her fiction, Kaitlyn explores the individual mind at moments of conflict and transformation, with a particular interest in psychology, free will, moral choice, romantic love, artistic conviction, independence, and the pursuit of happiness.

Literary Influences and Romantic Realism

Kaitlyn's writing is influenced by Objectivism and the tradition of Romantic Realism, as well as her lifelong interest in psychologically complex fiction.

She thinks of Ayn Rand as her literary mother and Fyodor Dostoevsky as her literary father. From Rand comes an enduring interest in the individual, free will, reason, moral choice, values, and the conviction that human beings can act purposefully to shape their lives. From Dostoevsky comes a fascination with the psychological depths of human consciousness—the fears, contradictions, dependencies, obsessions, and moral conflicts that can consume the individual mind.

She wants the world of Ayn Rand, yet often finds herself in the world of Dostoyevsky. Her fiction lives somewhere in that tension: between the ideal and the psychological reality of trying to reach it.

These influences meet in Kaitlyn's own approach to fiction: psychological literary fiction for the individualist.

Her work is her own, however, and represents her personal artistic vision and interpretation of the world.

Beyond the Novels

In addition to writing fiction, Kaitlyn is a professional proofreader and practices calligraphy. Her proofreading work reflects her longstanding devotion to language and the written word, while her calligraphy draws upon her appreciation for traditional penmanship, historical aesthetics, and the beauty of the handwritten page.

She is also the host of the Bankson Manor channel, where she explores literature, poetry, philosophy, art, history, and other subjects that reflect her interests as a writer.

Kaitlyn lives in Dubuque, Iowa, with her husband and daughter.

Philosophical Influence

Kaitlyn Bankson considers herself an Objectivist, and her work is influenced by Objectivism. Her writing represents her own views and artistic interpretations and should not be considered an official or authoritative representation of Ayn Rand's philosophy.

To learn more about Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, visit the Ayn Rand Institute.