Fern's writing continued to attract attention. In her "Ledger" column of May 10, 1856, she defended the poet Walt Whitman in a favorable review of his controversial book "Leaves of Grass". She noted Whitman's fearless individualism and self-reliance, as well as his honest and "undraped" portrayal of sex and the human body. Criticized for her admiration, she continued to champion literature that was ahead of its time. It has been suggested that Whitman imitated her "Fern Leaves" in his choice of cover art for the first edition.