John reads his poem "The Yearning Heart is Authentic," from his new chapbook Offering. He also discusses the need for spiritual renewal, the dark energy of the West, Zen monks, and St. Francis.

John Tessitore has been a journalist, editor, and biographer. He has taught history and literature at colleges around Boston, managed national policy studies on education and civil justice, and directs a language-education association. He serves as Co-Editor Across the Pond for The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press. His poems have appeared in a variety of books and journals. In each episode of Be True, he reads and discusses one of his published poems.

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