A young man is invited to a close family friend's opera performance; years later, the man reconnects with the singer and begins to uncover several family secrets.

A middle-aged New York editor becomes entranced by a young female writer whose work he rejects. As they meet more and more frequently for coffee, the editor endlessly analyzes whether or not the young woman shares his interest in becoming more than friends.

Two men putting on a production for their New York theater company seek out a legendary, elderly actor, but upon finding him, they meet a man as dilapidated as the theater he once worked for.

A man recalls his intimate friendship with his former English professor, who resolved to fuel his unsatisfied desire for playwriting during the time they were apart. In their reunion decades later, instead of the brilliant play he promised, the professor shows his former student a disturbing product of his mental instability.

A struggling writer finally completes his novel, only to have his original voice corrupted by the demands of his publisher. His supportive family cannot understand why he is unhappy with his success - but after a tragic accident leads to his death, they find solace in the remnants of his work.

A teacher on the Lower East side meets a friendly man with a presence resembling a dead English poet.

A creative writing teacher sits through a conference with one his favorite students. He takes us on a journey through the characters in the story, and in his life.

A failed Jewish-American painter embarks on a year-long trip through Italy to write a book on art history. A chance encounter with a Jewish refugee, however, quickly derails his writing, his trip, and his grip on reality.

A middle-aged chorus member lives for years with her parents after her husband leaves her for their male chorus director. Though she stays close friends with her former husband, she feels betrayed when she gets in an argument with the director and is asked to leave the chorus for good.

A lovestruck journalist and a torn painter pull the threads of their affair in opposite directions: he desires something more permanent, while she feels indebted to her husband and sons.