David goes to work at the Jews for Israel organization in New York, meeting Luther and Stephen, his two older coworkers. Luther is in the midst of a mid-life crisis, as his wife has chosen to leave him and take their daughters with her. Slowly, she collects the furniture from their house while he's away. His children stop speaking to him once they've left the house.

Luther takes the opportunity to reflect on the decisions he's made over his life, such as when he chose to give up his endeavors in poetry at the behest of his wife, who thought it would never provide them with a livable income. So, he attends writing workshops and begins exploring religions outside of Judaism, coming to idealize Buddhism, amongst others. He tells David all about his childhood and how his parents had raised him, much to David's grief, since he thinks Luther is somewhat unbearable. One day, while Stephen is in the hospital, David tells Luther what he really thinks of him, calling him a pain in the ass. Luther gives him the silent treatment for days, avoiding him at all costs, so David eventually apologizes for his outburst, and Luther forgives him.

After their conflict, Luther goes back to telling David about all the details he didn't ask for, such as a time when he was unfaithful to his wife by assaulting a sleeping woman. He tells David that his wife still doesn't have a new lover, which insults him because he believes if there was one, at least that would be a reason to leave him. Instead, his wife left him simply because she couldn't stand him and would rather be alone. He recalls the early days of his marriage, remembering how it had been his wife who, after dissuading him from poetry, encouraged him to move to New York and work for JFI.