  We calculate the out-of-plane thermopower in a quasi-two dimensional system,
and argue that this quantity is an effective probe of the asymmetry of the
single-particle spectral function. We find that the temperature and doping
dependence of the out-of-plane thermopower in Bi_2(Sr,La)_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}
single crystals is broadly consistent with the behavior of the spectral
function determined from ARPES and tunneling experiments. We also investigate
the relationship between out-of-plane thermopower and entropy in a quasi-two
dimensional material. We present experimental evidence that at moderate
temperatures, there is a qualitative correspondence between the out-of-plane
thermopower in Bi_2(Sr,La)_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}, and the entropy obtained from
specific heat measurements. Finally, we argue that the derivative of the
entropy with respect to particle number may be the more appropriate quantity to
compare with the thermopower, rather than the entropy per particle.
