Cheaper than a movie ticket!
In his third collection of poems, C.R. Reardon delves into his past with his most raw works yet. As he writes in the book’s opening poem ‘Transference’: “Here I am/Bleeding on the page.” The book’s title—a reference to the author’s actual day of birth in 1986—is an indication of the dark places these poems reflect upon. However, that is not to say this collection does not have works of levity like ‘A Hear Attack is Necessary to Live’, charming texts like ‘The Great Bobo’, or pieces that are empowering like ‘Stay Broken’. From the author’s childhood brain tumor, to his subsequent disability, to his lack of romantic relationships, to his embrace of the so-called “darkness” of his life, Born on Friday the 13th is bound to take its readers on an emotional journey.
In C.R. Reardon's second collection of poetry, the author (handicapped from complications with proton radiation on a brain tumor diagnosed at age eight) again takes the reader on a journey from melancholy and angst to enlightenment and optimism. The first section of poems is titled Seeds because the author is trying to demonstrate his belief that to become more human one must come from a darker place. In the second section the author delves into more personal, darker poems that gradually take a turn to the political. The third section of poems reflects on the small pleasures of life, and the books title comes from the sections last poem"Torghatten"--a mountain in Norway with a hole through its center.
Hard Polish is C.R. Reardon's third self-published book, and is his first book consisting of strictly poems. Although several of the poems in Hard Polish can be found in his memoir Spawning Gray, Hard Polish has 30 new poems that have been recently written or are old poems that have been revised. This selection of poems take the reader on a journey from profound events in the author's early life, through his perspective on current events, and to the formation of his identity.
Spawning Gray is the story of a boy diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 8. Living in close proximity to the city of Boston, Christopher Reardon is fortunate enough to have access to some of the best hospitals in the world. Due to complications with his brain tumor, by age 10 he is in a wheelchair, but persists on to graduate from middle school, high school, and college. His education and his personal turmoil have all culminated in his memoir. The book takes a look at the dark moments of this life as well as the positive ones, and depicts the genesis of an internal strength within Chris. "Nothing is black and white"-the book explores this idea by showing opposing situations. Spawning Gray culminates on the story 'Luck', and having read the account of Chris' life, readers must decide what 'luck' means to them. Influenced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida and his breaking down of binary oppositions (good/bad, happy/unhappy, dark/light, etc.) C.R. Reardon tries to bring more of a literary touch to the genre of autobiography and memoir. Spawning Gray is a collection of fifteen short stories, sixteen poems, and eight photos. The short stories are written in the manner of Sherwood Anderson a la Winesburg, Ohio, and the book's poems are inspired by poets like Dylan Thomas, Sylvia Plath, Walt Whitman, and others.