The lives of two battered down-and-outers cross paths mid the shadowed streets of NYC. Both protagonists are wrought from dubious roots; and despite good intentions, and some desire to “straighten” themselves out, both are unable to overcome their baggage. Shaker returns to the scene of the Houston Hotel where he previously lived, scraping by as a substitute desk clerk at odd hours. He longs for Mexico, where he imagines life will be golden. Meanwhile, Cass lives in a similar dive and works a dead end job far below her potential. The two connect, and subconsciously attempt to complete each other. But their primary commitment remains in their broken identities, and they seem unable to overcome their scars to embrace a better reality. Shaker in particular.

The Dropouts is a fine character study of the struggling class and the lost souls it produces. Goodney, whom we learn from Tom Cantrell’s informative introduction, died at the age of 29. This was his only novel and includes several unusual narrative techniques and copious descriptors of setting. Like the novel itself, readers are left hoping there was more his story to be told.