THE CAGE KEEPER AND OTHER STORIES <i> by Andre Dubus III (Plume: $7.95) </i>

Darkly powerful stories of the American underclass: drifters, bikers, ex-cons and drop-outs. Andre Dubus’ angry, threatened people struggle in vain against the system that has beaten them down. The father in “White Trees, Hammer Moon” tries to be a nurturing parent, but the violent temper and weakness for alcohol that lead to his conviction for manslaughter overcome his good intentions. The ancient snapping turtle in “Last Dance,” whose flesh continues to twitch after the hunters have hacked it to pieces, provides the key metaphor for these stories: Dubus’ characters fight to keep functioning, even after their lives have ended, as far as society is concerned.