Martin Embry, a film student, stumbles on legendary silent filmmaker Claude Ballard in 1960s Hollywood and is dismayed to learn that Ballard hasn't seen a film in over forty years. Begrudgingly, Ballard shares the story of his remarkable life—his fixation with a beautiful stage actress, who would become his lover; and his greatest achievement, a film known as The Electric Hotel. Real-life characters and events weave into the plot, but the main attractions here are Dominic Smith's memorable imagery and luminous prose.