Depraved and insane. Destitute and frantic. Unwholesome and shattered. Characteristics not for the faint of heart, but integral to the vivid portrayals of the marginalized populations living on the fringe of society.

Harbors of the Moon's stories are unconcerned with political correctness, beginning with an look at the comings and goings of a seedy motel and culminating with a minimum-wage laborer's stark observations of his repellent bosses. In between, you'll find tales of the oddballs living in American subculture: a Sicilian father ruminating on his Sugar Daughter's...