NEW ALLEYS FOR NOTHING MEN reads like a handbook for the bent, but not yet broken, humanizing even the darkest moments with laughter and tears. Drug addicts, thieves, and used car salesmen abound in this haunting collection of crime and noir short stories. At times funny, at times heartbreaking, but always emotionally impactful, these short stories humanize the outcasts and give a voice to the doomed among us who are desperately looking for something, anything, to hold onto. Michael Pool writes with humanity, clarity, and a street sense of justice that cannot be forgotten. Includes stories published in magazines such as Thuglit, All Due Respect, Heater, Out of the Gutter, Urban Graffiti and more! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll keep turning the pages, because one thing is for sure–Michael Pool can write. A gripping collection of tales about the broken, the bent and the down-and-out. Michael dishes up characters with depth, facing internal and external conflicts that will leave you wanting more. One of the best short story collections I’ve read. - Dietrich Kalteis, award-winning author of Ride the Lightning, The Deadbeat Club, and Triggerfish. Many of the characters in this compelling collection find themselves in dire straights after life-changing events. Pool’s knack for showing how people react when the chips are down is what brings these stories to life-each in its own dark way. This is a book about the moments that change us, and the moment to read it is now. - S.W. Lauden, author of Bad Citizen Corporation and Crosswise