Beston Barnett, a newly minted creative writing graduate from Tulane University, cannot find a job in his field. He takes a volunteer position leading a writer's group consisting of men who are HIV-positive. His students, who represent all walks of New Orleans life, were supposed to document their experiences for future generations. They have a lot of fun, but don't produce much. Beston decides he will document their lives. In the process, he falls in love with the city, the neighborhood, the restaurant, and his students. He discovers who he is in the midst of a horrific epidemic.