"...in a film about the consequences of turning one's art into a simple commodity, 'Monk Ellison', a professor of English literature, is in a rut with his own writing. His agent repeatedly explains to him that publishing houses don't believe his writing to be 'black enough', while another book from author 'Juanita Mae Jenkins', titled 'We's Lives In Da Ghetto' is a national best seller and critical darling..."