Shufflers

In the tradition of Denis Johnson and Charles Bukowski, author Frank Haberle's 21 interwoven stories will take you to minimum wage America of the 1980s, where opportunities are few and situations are precarious. Sometimes funny but always honest, Shufflers is a grand tour of a world in plain sight, a world in which no one hopes to travel. Danny lives on the outskirts of society, traveling randomly from New York to Alaska to Colorado to San Francisco and beyond, often cold and hungry, sometimes drunk and always struggling to survive. To get by he works as a ski lift operator, fry shack manager, jackhammer operator, and any other jobs he can get his hands on. Along the way, he learns about resilience and fortitude from the usually invisible characters who populate the outskirts of our world. Danny is trying to make a path to something better and avoid becoming just one more shuffler. Reviews: "Frank Haberle is a storyteller's storyteller - down-to-earth, subtle, humble, but confident when it counts. In Shufflers he blends experience, craft, wisdom and wit to put forth a collection of tales that will move you emotionally when you read it- and mean even more to you after you read it."--John McCaffrey, Author, Two-Syllable Men and Book of Ash "I love Frank Haberle's stories and will dive into a new one any chance I can get—face first, off a cliff, without looking. I know I will land knee-deep in nostalgic music and memorable events, then swim around in painful regrets surrounded by beautiful imagery I can't shake--and I will just lie there floating happy. Open this collection anywhere and become an instant fan." --Milda DeVoe, Author and Founding Executive Director of Pen Parentis I yearn for a world that embraces eccentrics and perhaps deems them prophets. Shufflers, introduces us to folks now faded into crevices –the Stickmans, Cashtown Annies, and T-Shirt Ladies who continue to struggle with dignity in a divided 21c America. Frank Haberle's skillfully rendered stories remind us to pay attention to damaged individuals, renew our capacities to have spontaneous experiences, and remember the what-the-hellishness of youth.—Lori Kent , Hunter College and Founder of Code Vert Arts