Bottom Feeder and the Rise of the Mealy Men is the gritty story of Franky, an educated, professional, middle-class, Afro-American man who loses everything and has to eke out a new life on the mean and unforgiving streets of New York City. This coupled with his insistent engagement with alcohol and drugs poses an additional existential challenge. The saga itself would be a typically tragic one, were it not for the colorful characters he meets along the way, as well as the nail-biting escapades he undergoes in his efforts to adjust to the newfound environment he is suddenly thrusted into.

Franky's serious substance abuse problem becomes increasingly problematic with each passing day. In order to blot out the harsh reality of homeless life along with the memories of that "Terrible moment," which propelled him out into the streets in the beginning, he keeps himself in a perpetual state of high through continual abuse. As time progresses, he even begins to experiment with harsher drugs, which sends his life into a deeper tailspin.

Nevertheless, he finds some solace in his newfound companion, Through. Through is an anomaly in that, although he is permanently homeless, he had lived a rich, exciting and full life before taking on living out of a shopping cart. Through regales Franky with the stories of his travels and daring-dos. He also could be counted on to sprinkle in a bevy of wisdom gained from his many years of experience. These pearls of insight serve to sustain Franky through his own travails.

Along with the daily struggle to stay alive and his increasing drug use, Franky is confronted with flashbacks of his past life. There are tormenting memories of the comforts and stability he once enjoyed in his professional career as well as in the company of his mother, sisters and close relatives, who once played an influential role in his life. However, a monumental event occurred which changed all of this and led to his eventual downfall.

In addition to this, there are repeated reminders of his failed career in the entertainment world. To his constant dismay, he keeps running into the glaring and very conspicuous commercial posters of "The Mealy Men." "The Mealy Men," Vagabond Joe and Broken Glass, are the two usurpers who stole his original ideas about hosting major poetry events and on-the-stage spoken word performances. Not only did they effectively manage to heist his original concepts, but they also succeeded in procuring a very lucrative commercial contract with a major tv producer. As a result, their careers rocked to the stratosphere, while his crashed and burned in cinders to the ground. Franky's frequent encounters with these billboards only serves to exacerbate his growing dissatisfaction with his life's predicament.

Although, Bottom Feeder and the Rise of the Mealy Men is a rollercoaster ride of absurdities and a mockery of what was once Franky's contented life, it also provides some insights into his personal philosophy about reality, as well as raising the question concerning the very meaning of being. It is a story mingled with hope and tragedy. Perhaps it is a tale which may cause one to take a second look at the next homeless person they encounter sleeping on the sidewalks of New York City.