Hey Bert

Book excerpt: Hey Bert is a clarion call to open our eyes to the extentof poetry's capacity with the aim to find new ways oflooking at our own lives. Poems that speak intenselyof the everyday, of nostalgia, friendship and love, thebody, the sacred, all seen through Pastore's unique,eccentric filter of spirit animals, pop-culture, dreamsand astrology.In the spirit of John Giorno, Anne Waldman, and JuliaHeyward, Pastore's work draws from performance art,confessional poetry, mantra, and folklore to create avoice both fiercely contemporary and somehow out oftime. His inspiration for this collection derived fromhis trips to Carlisle, where his love for poetry ignitedtwelve years ago.'I think my poems connect with people, becausethey speak of things that we all experience and aren'tintimidating to people who don't generally read poetry.I think my collection could be a bridge for people whogrew up on Instagram poetry.'