A man reflects on his teenage years and the death of his best friend's younger brother. Haunted by an incident shortly before the shocking death, the man laments having irreparably wronged the boy.

An amateur painter attends his first art show, hoping to sell some of his work. He soon understands, however, that the path to success in art is not nearly as simple as he once perceived it to be.

A New Yorker attends a meeting for unemployed workers and the sleazy speakers leave him skeptical about his job prospects.