I also admire most of Tessa's writing, as I made clear in the article. And although I am aware that she has ASD (like a number of my favorite people and several family members), I respect her enough as a person and as a writer to call her out when necessary.

And yes, I believe it was fully justified in this case. I tried first offering a polite and respectful comment, which she rebuffed and doubled down in her attack on all contemporary poets, a group she obviously knows nothing about.

Tessa is entitled to her opinion, as are we all, and free to express it. But she presents herself as an authority, which I believe she is in several areas, and used that authoritative voice to trash a whole generation of creative writers with absolutely zero justification.

I don't agree with the comments disparaging her in overly broad terms, as you will see if you examine my responses. But what has generated such antipathy (apparently) is Tessa's habit of attacking, insulting, and blocking anyone who disagrees with her. If she wants to participate in the public forum of ideas, she needs to learn the phrase, "I could be wrong."