Having our work reviewed publicly is a strange and unavoidable part of writing. It's something we all have to deal with when we put new work out into the world. In today's episode I talk about reviews, theatre criticism and 'perfect opinions'. I touch on: - Writers' different appetites for reading reviews of their work. - The difference between theatre criticism and reviews.- Frustrations with an imperfect reviewing culture.- How reviews are one small piece of the broader cultural and critical response your work. - Knowing what's important to you. Whether that's the audience response, the industry response, the response from the community the work represents, box office sales, awards and nominations etc. - Asking who or what art criticism meant to serve?- My thoughts on writers being part of the broader conversation surrounding their work. I reference: 'Beejay Silcox on literary criticism and the art of judging' on The Garret podcastThank you for listening. If you're enjoying the podcast, leaving a rating or a review is a really friendly way to show your support. To learn more about my work, visit my website https://www.emilysheehan.info/ or connect with me on Instagram @emilysheehan__ or send me an email at [email protected].