A philosophical exploration of what it means to devote one's life to beauty in a world that is vehemently trying to eradicate it. 'Who am I, friend? And what will become of whoever I am?' After rejecting the Devil's advances, the protagonist of Jack Dennehy's The Writer attempts to understand why he cannot complete the masterwork he claims will give his life true meaning. The Writer, to overcome this, feels he must first call on the aid of a brother. Then, under threat of a drunken tormentor, he must reckon with episodes from his troubled past. Finally, while wrestling with all that's good and evil in his heart, he must learn to accept his reality as an outcast of utopia and muster the resolve to embark on a lifelong search for beauty.