In “Life Lessons,” famed New York artist Lionel Dobie prepares for an upcoming one-man show, and refuses to give a preview of his work to his agent, Phillip Fowler. When Lionel goes to the airport to pick up Paulette, his twenty-two-year-old assistant, she is unhappy to see him. She insists their relationship is over, and reveals she was in Florida with another man, performance artist Gregory Stark, and not with a girl friend as she had said. Paulette reveals that she and Gregory have already broken up, but tells Lionel she does not want to resume her relationship with him, and plans to leave New York City. Lionel chastises her for giving up on the city, and insists that her own painting will suffer if she leaves. He begs her to stay on living and working at his studio, and she agrees, as long as their sexual relationship comes to an end. Lionel accepts her terms, but his obsession with her becomes a distraction from his paintings. He repeatedly tries to sleep with her, but she rejects him, insisting she does not love him. In time, Lionel begins to channel his desire for Paulette into his art. When Paulette shows him her latest painting, she is infuriated when he refuses to offer his opinion. She telephones her mother insisting she wants to come home. However, when Paulette watches Lionel work, she is overwhelmed with admiration. She attends an art industry party with him, and meets a young artist named Reuben Toro. When Lionel sees them dancing, he becomes jealous, and tries to convince her that Reuben is no good for her. Paulette ignores Lionel, and takes Reuben back to the studio and has sex with him. Lionel is tormented, and blasts his music while he paints. Sometime later, he apologizes to Paulette, buys her a dress, and asks her to escort him to another event. However, Paulette has plans to see Gregory Stark’s latest performance. Lionel suggests that he go as her date to make Gregory jealous. After Gregory’s show, Lionel encourages Paulette to speak to him, but when Gregory is rude to her, Paulette takes her anger out on Lionel, and screams at him in the street. When Lionel grabs Paulette and professes his undying love for her, she challenges him to prove his love by kissing a nearby police officer. He reluctantly approaches the patrol vehicle, and the officer pushes Lionel away with his billy club. Lionel awkwardly blows him a kiss, but when he turns around, Paulette is gone. He returns to the studio and finds her there, barely clothed, and accuses her of taunting him. As Lionel’s lust boils out of control, Paulette bids him goodnight. Sometime later, Paulette sees Gregory Stark at a restaurant. Lionel, who is also there dining with friends, watches Gregory approach Paulette. In a fury, Lionel attacks Gregory for his previous ill treatment of Paulette, and punches him in the face. When Paulette flees, Lionel chases her home and begs her to stay, again professing his love. Paulette demands to know if her paintings are any good, but Lionel refuses to answer, saying only that she is young. Paulette screams and shoves him out of her room. Soon after, her brother arrives to drive her home, and Lionel tells Paulette that she never really knew him. At his art show opening, Lionel receives praise from the guests. When a beautiful young painter compliments his work, Lionel invites her to be his new assistant, offering to provide her with room, board, and “life lessons.”
       In “Life Without Zoe,” precocious twelve-year-old Zoe Montez lives at The Sherry Netherland Hotel in New York City. While her photographer mother, Charlotte, and flutist father, Claudio, travel for work, Hector, the hotel butler, looks after Zoe. At school, Zoe and her friends notice Abu, the new boy at school, who is escorted by a turbaned bodyguard. When they interview him for the school’s Dingbat News, Abu shares that although he comes from a very wealthy family, he is very lonely and has no friends. Zoe tells him that she used to be lonely when her parents traveled, until her mother taught her to make your own fun, which causes others to ask to join in. Abu asks Zoe to be his friend, and they spend the day shopping. When Zoe returns to the hotel after midnight, she walks in as the place is being robbed, and is thrown to the ground, next to Jimmy the doorman, and held at gunpoint. Zoe sees the thieves stealing from her father’s safe-deposit box, and notices them drop a package on the floor. After they leave, Zoe retrieves the package and, inside, finds a large diamond earring with a note from Princess Saroya writing to admire Claudio’s beautiful flute playing. Zoe wakes Hector to tell him about the robbery and the mysterious package. She is reminded of an invitation for her father she received that morning from Sheik Omar, and pieces together the torn party invitation. Her father’s presence is requested at a party where the Sheik’s wife, Princess Saroya, will be wearing the famous “Tears of Shiraz” earrings. Zoe discerns that if the Princess fails to wear the earrings, the Sheik will accuse her father of having a relationship with the Princess. Zoe tells Hector they must return the earring before the party, to avoid any trouble. She telephones Abu for help, knowing that his wealthy family is well connected, and learns that Princess Saroya is Abu’s aunt. Zoe plans a costume party for Abu as a scheme to meet the princess. Soon after, Zoe’s mother, Charlotte, returns home unexpectedly, and tells Zoe she is trying to reconcile with Claudio, from whom she has been estranged. When Zoe critiques her mother’s behavior and fashion choices, Charlotte insists that she is the mother, not the other way around. Soon after, Claudio also returns, and Zoe embraces him warmly, doting on his every need. When Claudio tells Zoe about “a bit of trouble” he is having regarding a mysterious Princess who gave him an earring, Zoe surprises her father by revealing the earring. Claudio mentions that Sheik Omar has been having him followed, and Zoe promises to help him return the earring to avoid any “misunderstanding” with the Sheik. Sometime later, Zoe arrives at Abu’s mansion for the party, with the earring dangling from a turban atop her head. She greets her friends, as several bands and a tightrope walker entertain them. After thanking her for throwing the lavish party, Abu takes Zoe upstairs to meet his aunt, Princess Saroya. As a token of thanks, Princess Saroya places a ring on Zoe’s finger. Later, Zoe’s parents take her out to dinner at the Russian Tea Room, and Claudio plays her to sleep with his flute. He tells Zoe he is leaving on another world tour, and invites her to join him when she is older. Zoe rekindles her relationship with her mother, and suggests they travel together to Paris, France, and join her father on tour. In time, Zoe and Charlotte happily watch Claudio perform at the New Acropolis Museum in Greece.
       In “Oedipus Wrecks,” Sheldon Mills, a fifty-year-old lawyer in New York City, speaks to his psychiatrist about the unresolved issues he has with his mother, Sadie. He worries about introducing his fiancée, Lisa, to his mother that evening, and wishes she would just disappear. His psychiatrist suggests he try to have a sense of humor about her. However, when Sheldon and Lisa arrive, his mother instantly criticizes him, and informs Lisa that Sheldon’s real last name is “Millstein,” but that he goes by “Mills,” much to her chagrin. Throughout dinner, Sadie continues chastising her son in front of Lisa. Before they leave, Sheldon’s mother tells him not to marry Lisa because she has three children from a previous marriage. In time, Sheldon returns to his psychiatrist and complains that his mother arrived at his conservative law office, with his elderly Aunt Ciel in tow, and embarrassed him in front of his colleagues. When Lisa invites Sadie to meet her children over lunch, Sadie gripes about eating outdoors, and continues complaining when they take her to see a magician’s performance. Shandu, the Magician, chooses her from among the crowd to assist him in a trick, and Sadie Millstein reluctantly goes onstage. After his mother gets inside a box, Sheldon takes great pleasure watching Shandu insert swords through it. However, when the trick is over, Shandu opens the box and Sadie has disappeared. The magician tells Sheldon he does not know what happened to her. Sheldon searches for her everywhere, but Sadie remains missing. After several weeks, Sheldon hires a private detective. However, when he notices that his mood and sex life have greatly improved since his mother’s disappearance, he tells the detective to stop searching for her. In time, Sheldon hears commotion on the streets. When he goes outside, he sees the giant head of his mother looming over the city. From up in the clouds, Sadie chastises her son in front of the citizens of New York. Everywhere he goes, his mother watches, constantly criticizing him and insulting Lisa. The citizens of New York readily accept Sadie Millstein’s hovering presence, and Mayor Edward I. Koch even tips his hat to her for helping spot crimes throughout the city. Reporters hound Sheldon when he leaves his apartment, and he suffers a mental breakdown. When his psychiatrist suggests he hire a clairvoyant to help get rid of his mother, Sheldon visits Treva Marx at her home. For three weeks, he helps Treva perform ridiculous rituals, with no results. Sheldon calls Treva a fraud, and she cries, admitting he is right, and explains that she hoped to have a spiritual gift but is really just a failed actress. Sheldon comforts Treva, and offers to take her out to dinner, but she offers to cook for him instead. Over the evening their friendship blossoms, and Sheldon suggests they meet again. When he returns home, he finds a letter from Lisa, claiming they fight too much, and that she has fallen out of love with him. Instead of feeling sad, Sheldon realizes he has fallen in love with Treva. Soon after, he takes Treva outside to meet his mother, introducing her as his new fiancée. After granting approval, Sadie Millstein agrees to come down, and disappears from the sky. She reappears on Sheldon’s couch, insisting she feels fine, and warmly greets Treva. Sheldon watches his mother in wonder.