Haters 101

“People don’t condone what they’ve never seen.”

– Deion Sanders

Upon publication, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass caused an uproar. Whitman was fired after his boss read the book and deemed it “offensive.” Critics lambasted Whitman for having released it, slandered his image, and called the work “a mass of stupid filth.”

Today Walt Whitman is considered to be “America’s first poet of democracy.” Leaves of Grass can be found in any library, high school, or college in the country. Additionally, Whitman’s writings directly influenced authors such as Bram Stoker and Jack Kerouac. Even if you’ve never read any of his poems, you’ve experienced something that bore the mark of Walt Whitman.

Moral of the story: Just because people attack your work doesn’t mean it sucks.