 Ann Aldrich and the contributors to "The Ladder" took potshots at each other in print, once a contributor to "The Ladder" accusing Aldrich of being Ann Bannon, but always stating she expressed self-loathing in her writings.In 1970, Gene Damon of "The Ladder" referred to Meaker as "the evil genius" for her excellent writing about unpleasant and unsatisfactory lesbian themes.Meaker was persuaded to try young adult fiction at the suggestion of author Louise Fitzhugh ("Harriet the Spy"), and chose to do so after reading Paul Zindel's "The Pigman".