Dreamways

“She has chronicled the 20th century’s utopian search for defining ideas — be they communism, feminism or psychology — and the fallout that such ideas have had on the lives of women trying to find an identity of their own.” So begins a tribute to Doris Lessing the day after she was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. (“Tracing the Internal Tug of War at the Heart of Human Life” by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, October 12, 2007). This summarization of Ms Lessing’s works is very much the realm of dreams, dreams as ideals, dreams as goals and aspirations.  read more »

"Breast cancer is the most lethal form of cancer for women in the world. An estimated 1 million cases will be identified this year, and about 550,000 new and existing patients will die from the disease. In the U.S., breast cancer will be diagnosed in 1 in 8 women.“ ("The Changing Face of Breast Cancer,“ Kathleen Kingsbury, Time, 15 Oct 07). This is the waking nightmare, plain and horrifyingly simple.
 read more »

"After suffering a devastating stroke four years ago, Susan Brown was left in a wheelchair with little hope of walking again. Today, the 57-year-old woman has regained use of her legs and has begun to reclaim her life, thanks in part to encouragement she says she gets from an online virtual world where she can walk, run and dance.“

"Robert Salvatierra, long imprisoned in his home by his terror over going outdoors, has started venturing outside more after gaining confidence by exploring the three-dimensional, interactive world on the Internet."
 read more »

In an essay entitled "Blows Against the Empire“ (The New Yorker, 20 Aug 07), Adam Gopnik explores the life and writings of American science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick (1928 – 1982) who is perhaps best known for having provided the adaptation source for Ridley Scott’s classic movie of dystopia, Blade Runner. While this movie can be seen as a dark and disturbing visionary dream, and as such, an influential cultural voice, the essay looks, among other things, at how Dick’s life was impacted by a moment of vision.

 read more »

We are in a dark bedroom in this installment of the comic strip “Opus” (Berkeley Breathed, Sunday, 04 Nov 07). We see Opus the penguin in profile, asleep in his bed, his red necktie hanging from the bed post. On the bed, resting on Opus's feet is a white-with-brown-markings pooch. The caption reads: “You read it here first in the serious, trusted newspaper: OUR SNEAKY DOGS WANT THE PLANET BACK FOR THEMSELVES. For generations, they’ve secretly inspired our most inexplicable, lamebrained, self-destructve paths.”

 read more »

"Ex-girl Scout leader admits bilking troop members“ (The Denver Post, 01 Nov 07). This headline certainly arrested the attention of this dreamer. Sargent Bilko leading a flock of tender girl scouts? Is nothing sacred? As it turns out, no, at least not in the halls of scoutdom.

 read more »

"Worker shot in legs when gun fires in cubicle“ (The Denver Post, 01 Nov 07). This headline is not particularly jarring for a jaded 21st century newspaper reader. Gunfire in an office cubicle? Old stuff! Is this a by now overly-familiar scenario of a disgruntled co-worker or dumped lover seeking revenge? Hardly! The story announced by the headline is the humorous stuff of waking dreams.

 read more »

The headline reads: “Ex-Commander Says Iraq Effort Is ‘a Nightmare’ “ (David S. Cloud, The New York Times, October 13, 2007). The newspaper article goes on to report: “In a sweeping indictment of the four-year effort in Iraq, the former top commander of American forces there called the Bush administration’s handling of the war ‘incompetent’ and said the result was ‘a nightmare with no end in sight.’ “ It is noteworthy that a military person of high rank invokes the world of dreams.

 read more »