Dreams of a Lifetime

In Dreams of a Lifetime, the poet Gordon Walmsley casts his gaze back over the span of his life, writing with a maturity of feeling that allows nature, childhood memories and observations of the contemporary world to stream freely through the poems. He blends the roomy and convivial rhythms of the American South with the lapidary quietude he encountered on first coming to Denmark, and in that space of thought and light which he came to appreciate, his mood rests in the moment and presence of being. Dreams of a Lifetime is attuned both to the cycles of nature and of human consciousness, and as such is a prescient voice in our current time.

In Dreams of a Lifetime, the poet Gordon Walmsley casts his gaze back over the span of his life, writing with a maturity of feeling that allows nature, childhood memories and observations of the contemporary world to stream freely through the poems. He blends the roomy and convivial rhythms of the American South with the lapidary quietude he encountered on first coming to Denmark, and in that space of thought and light which he came to appreciate, his mood rests in the moment and presence of being. Dreams of a Lifetime is attuned both to the cycles of nature and of human consciousness, and as such is a prescient voice in our current time.

How social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves Most of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but we also tend to think that anything is possible when someone dreams about what might be. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream—and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true—are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events. Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us. Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combating inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.

How social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves Most of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but we also tend to think that anything is possible when someone dreams about what might be. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream—and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true—are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events. Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us. Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combating inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.