Summary

In the city of Portland, OR, in the year 1958, a boy named Jamey Van Zandt is born. When he is five, his mother, Debbie, dies on his birthday. When Jamey realizes his birthday is the same day that Gandhi was killed, he begins to grieve Debbie in darker and darker ways. When he is thirteen, he begins riding his bike around town and playing chicken with passing motorists. The next year, Jamey attempts a similar form of fun, but crashes his bike into a guardrail and suffers a serious accident. Following his accident, Jamey experiences a change of heart, and becomes fascinated by the laypeople of Portland. He starts studying theater and performing skits for the people he encounters.

In 1981, Jamey decides to become a theater major, a decision that infuriates his father, Jon. When Jon attempts to cut Jamey off...