Some people follow their favorite band—Jay follows the Poet. For two decades, the Poet's words have given meaning to Jay's life as a quality control inspector for a New England match factory. He memorizes all the words to every published poem and goes to as many readings as he can manage. Instead of recording bootlegs, however, he collects the sound vibrations of the poems in small glass jars, capturing the essence of individual poems as the Poet reads them aloud. But after years of devotion, a chance encounter makes Jay realize the depths of his own loneliness. Will a desperate trip to Bangkok give a new meaning to Jay's life, or has he sunk too far into hero worship to regain his true self?