Publications
“A master of his own invention, Peter Jastermsky takes us on an adventurous ride with just a few words, linking and shifting, treading the paths of reflection, retrospection, mid-life crisis, aging, last loves, hope, and many more. into the stillness is a book you will want to read again and again, not only to learn the 'secret' to writing split sequences, but also to be still and to be swept away to dream and imagine.”
— Christine L. Villa, Editor of Frameless Sky)
Just Dust and Stone is the first-ever collection of haiku-based split sequences, a collaboration by the authors. Their empathic teamwork and skill in tapping the continuum of life’s emotions make for a powerful read.
"A challenging new form from Peter Jastermsky, in collaboration with Bryan Rickert, sure to excite the avant-garde that lurks in the hearts of all adventurers in the burgeoning new world of short form poetry. You will definitely read these split sequences more than once and in more than one way. A masterful work full of fresh imagery and insight."
— Larry Kimmel, former editor of Winfred Press
“Don’t let the brevity and humor of Peter Jastermsky’s haibun mislead you. Below that is a layer of experience we can all too readily identify with. And underpinning it all is a sense of wonder—or at least a sense of amused surprise. In fact, the prose can sometimes be so diverting that it’s easy to miss how spot on the haiku and senryu are. There may be “no Velcro here,” but these haibun will stick with you for some time to come.”
— Bob Lucky, Editor of Contemporary Haibun Online
moonlit night
brave enough
to go it alone
these poems have been published in the following journals: Failed Haiku, Hedgerow, Prune Juice, The Aurorean, Haiku Journal, Wild Plum, The Heron’s Nest, Haikuniverse, Under the Basho, Sonic Boom, Butterfly Dreams, Incense Dreams, The Zen Space, The Haiku Foundation
“To witness the birth of a new poetic form is both a tremendous privilege and an honor. The combination of the inherently surrealist nature of monoku with the lyrical candor of cherita is powerful in Fingerbone Sky. Peter Jastermsky skillfully combines daydream-like imagery with heart-breaking truths about family, loss, and loneliness. While Peter’s human experience is unique, it is easy to feel his heart, words, and story within the rich space he has created between his verses.”
— Tiffany Shaw-Diaz, Poet & Artist
“Peter Jastermsky is a prolific cherita writer and poet, a master of stories who draws you in with his strength of truthfulness and dedication which I find essential for the genre. If you love stories and believe in them, you won’t have far to go, to immerse, and lose yourself in this poet’s six-line journeys into a world populated with his personal truths, and his powerful desire to keep the campfires of storytelling nights burning.”
— ai li, creator of cherita & editor and publisher of the cherita
“Vibrant partnerships are those that combine tension and harmony. In the union of art and poetry, disparate pieces come together to form a creation more wondrous than the separate parts. Masters of their crafts, Peter Jastermsky and Tiffany Shaw-Diaz’s haiku and art stand beautifully alone. Put them together, and the poet and artist are a literary and artistic force. Shaw-Diaz’s art explodes upon the page, while Jastermsky’s haiku challenges us to peel back the layers to reveal inner nuances and shades of meaning. There is a brutal honesty at the core (‘false starts/how we embrace/the struggle’), balanced with beauty and vitality: ‘opening my heart a geode spills its color.’ tyranny of the familiar is a book that invites return journeys, each time sparking new revelations and discoveries.”
— Marianne Paul, Author of Body Weight: A Collection of Haiku and Art
