A Vietnamese near-centenarian living in New Orleans reminisces on wars he experienced, ideas he held, and countries he saw during the 20th century with the help of the ghost of an old friend: Ho Chi Minh.

A woman reflects on a day — back when she was a young poet in 1972 New York City — she spent retrieving furniture to borrow from a young man about to visit his home in Chile. The man was eventually taken by the secret police, leaving the woman with his furniture for years to come.

A Midwestern woman reflects on a past heartbreak from 1993 that led her to check into a tacky hotel, drink her worries away, seduce a married late-night radio talk show host, and doubtfully come to a personal realization.