Radioactive Starlings: Poems by Myronn Hardy

Myronn Hardy’s Radioactive Starlings: Poems is a visceral, raw collection of poetry that confirms Myronn Hardy’s stance as a standout contemporary poet. The collection was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2020 and is Hardy’s fourth poetry collection. In the wake of the deaths of three of his friends, Hardy wrote Radioactive Starlings as a form of catharsis and tribute to their legacies.

The poems in Radioactive Starlings grapple with death, identity and the complexities of living in contemporary America. Although Myronn Hardy’s work has been described as “dark”, the book has moments of surreal humor, tenderness, and candid reflections on mortality that convey Hardy’s desire to grapple with life’s complexities. Through death and loss, there is a resounding voice of joy and hope present in Hardy’s work.

In the collection, Hardy speaks to the overlooked. He writes of a youth culture beset by gun violence and of elderly citizens in struggling communities. Hardy’s work is a compassionate reminder of the collective cost of unchecked injustice.

The themes of identity and the body, of death and its after-effects, and of the need for growth and healing are explored throughout the collection. Hardy writes of rural life, but his poems are not limited to a single setting: They are a sweeping exploration of class, race, gender, and sexuality. Hardy’s speakers are often rendered in vivid detail, using a mix of detail-oriented language and abstract imagery.

One of the collection’s standout poems, “The Caretaker’s Walking Stick,” tells the story of a caretaker and their walking stick, what the caretaker perceives about the stick, and how the caretaker attempts to make sense of the stick’s presence. The speaker reflects on moments of joy and sorrow, and of communities hidden and lost, to explore the complexity of life and loss surrounding them.

Another powerful poem in the collection is “Gospel Train,” a frenetic poem exploring the speaker’s sense of displacement. In this poem, Hardy depicts a speaker who has been denied a place to belong, but finds a way to “hitch a ride” and live life on the edge. The poem speaks of death and displacement and yet carries with it a sense of ultimate hope.

In addition to the poems, Hardy has included short prose passages throughout the collection that touch on the collection’s major themes of death, identity, and social disparities. These passages serve as a reminder that while Hardy’s speakers may be similar to each other in their suffering, they are also unique in their stories and experiences.

Myronn Hardy’s Radioactive Starlings: Poems is a powerful and poignant collection that does not shy away from the realities of life in America. Through captivating language and narrative, Hardy brings to light multiple perspectives on difficult topics and reminds readers to never lose hope.