Nonetheless, a dear friend told me I should thank this person - thank them for making me stop and consider my motivations, and reconsider the way my material was presented. That friend was right. I reviewed the material, asked a variety of people to review it including other authors. I got some great ideas from that process, despite the initial struggle and pain. I also learned a valuable lesson.
Individual perception is ghostly.
We cannot presume to understand or know what's happening in another person's profession or life. And we shouldn't judge them too harshly without that information in place. If we do, a valuable opportunity to connect and learn may pass us by. In this case I'm saddened to say that I think this person will always dislike me. My efforts at fixing things fell on ears and eyes that had made up their mind.