The three works in this volume concern people either slipping from or trying to grasp needed levels in life. In The Case of Arlene, a mental patient will only reveal her traumatic past to an itinerant part-time worker, creating intrigues within their facility. The Lightweight, written in verse, is essentially an epic poem about a regular guy. His story offers meaning in its commonality with the aspirations and weaknesses of many other people. In The Celestial Opera, a reunion of two old friends at a funeral leads to deeper understanding of life, death, and what may lie beyond.