Edelshtein is a Jewish man from Minsk, who has come to America at a young age. He hopes to become an established writer of Yiddish poetry, but while his peer Yankel Ostrover, a fiction writer, has several pieces translated to English and printed in major publications, Edelshtein himself is hardly successful. Edelshtein meets Ostrover when their wives become close friends, but he soon discovers that his wife Mireleh and Ostrover are having an affair. Mireleh then becomes pregnant and miscarries, having had six miscarriages already since being married. Not long after, Mireleh passes away, and Edelshtein is left living alone in New York. Now sixty-seven, Edelshtein has grown increasingly jealous of Ostrover's success, especially since he considers his own writing superior. However, Edelshtein's writing has only been published in a small Yiddish magazine run by his friend Baumzweig. The poet decides that his work would be much more successful if translated into English, so he writes to several of his connections looking for a translator, but none of them offer any help. One night, Edelshtein attends one of Ostrover's readings with Baumzweig and his wife Paula. There, Ostrover reads one of his newest stories about a man who makes a deal with Satan to teach him how to write in different languages so that he may achieve fame. In the end, the man's poems are rejected in every language, and Satan takes him to hell. At the story's conclusion, the room erupts into laughter. Baumzweig, also laughing, turns to Edelshtein and tells him the story is clearly based on him, concluding that Ostrover must have heard of Edelshtein's efforts to find an English translator. After the reading, Edelshtein says hello to a lexicographer named Vorovsky, who is attending the reading with his niece Hannah. Hannah recognizes Edelshtein's name, and tells him that her grandfather used to read her his poems. Edelshtein is impressed that someone so young knows Yiddish and is moved to tears. As he weeps, he recites a poem aloud to the room. That night, Edelshtein is unable to sleep and his mind becomes increasingly clouded. In a daze, he wanders into the streets outside, looking for Hannah, though he does not know where she lives. He finds a telephone and tries to call Vorovsky but dials Ostrover's number by mistake. Edelshtein begins to ramble almost incomprehensibly to Ostrover, who then mocks the poet for his jealousy. Ostrover tells him that one of his stories is being made into a movie. Edelhstein responds angrily, but Ostrover has already hung up the phone. Edelshtein then finds Vorovsky's apartment building, and when he knocks it is Hannah who lets him in. Inside, he sees Vorovsky lying on the floor in a fit of laughter. Hannah tells him that her uncle is unwell and has been this way all night. Edelshtein instructs Hannah to make tea and offer it to her uncle, but it does not help. The niece asks Edelshtein to leave, but he refuses and attempts to persuade her into translating his poetry into English. Hannah tells the poet that she is not interested in working for him, because she believes his writing is not modern enough for the current world. She explains that Ostrover is successful because his work reflects the modern day, instead of the old world that Edelshtein writes about in his poetry. Edelshtein, growing desperate, begs her to reconsider, and strikes her across the face when she refuses again. Hannah tells him to die, and Edelshtein finally leaves. It is now morning, and Edelshtein enters a store to use the telephone. He plans to call Paula, but changes his mind and calls a number he saw advertised on a flyer earlier that morning. The number is for a group of self-proclaimed soul-sociologists who wish to spread the mission of Christ. On the phone, Edelshtein argues about religion with the person on the other end of the call, who calls Edelshtein several slurs. The conversation ends with Edelshtein shouting into the phone.