Donna Ashworth

poem so I didn't sort of anticipate criticism because why would anybody compare to me there are subcategories of poetry and there should be as there is with everything why would you compare two different categories you know but the poetry I have found the hard way carries a lot of elitism with it

And you can't just sort of rock up in your mid-forties and say, I think I'll write poems and sell some books.

That's going to ruffle feathers.

But hey-ho, this happens in life to everybody in all industries, doesn't it?

It's because it's quite new, isn't it?

They each have their place.

And you can like both.

Yeah.

And you can use them for different things.

It makes no sense to me.

And also most of the criticism that new poets get, it's not just me.

We actually have an event coming up called the Worst Poets Club.

where some female poets have come together and decided that we would join and have a great big event and call us, because we've all been called the worst poet in modern day history.

Exactly.

So, you know, you can find the joy in everything and you can...

Anybody can criticise anything, but I've never quite understood why a critic is a job.

Imagine that was your job every day, to look for all the flaws in everything.

That cannot be a good way to live.

And imagine that we're still allowed to employ people to criticise.

it blows my mind because we know more now about, you know, mental wellness and the world doesn't operate the way it used to in the past, you know, shut up and get on with it.