Dreams of the Presidents From George Washington to Barack Obama

The stuff of dreams--hopes, fears, and longings--represent universal subjects to which everyone can relate. These dreams take on a new cultural currency in Dreams of the Presidents, a fictionalized anthology of dreams, one for each American president. Exploring power, as well as its limits and possibilities, Charles Barasch makes light of the entitlement and self-importance commonly attributed to politicians. Fun to read, humorous, and laced with events of historical interest, each poem gives a dose of insight into the presidents' lives and their relationships with others, including their families, allies, and rivals. Where contemporary people or important references to American history (such as slavery and the Indian wars) occur, notes explain and contextualize them within the poem's meaning.

Charles Barasch’s poems have been published in many literary and general-interest magazines, as well as in the anthology Baseball, I Gave You All the Best Years of My Life. He has created crossword puzzles for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major publications. A linguistics professor at the University of Vermont and a speech pathologist working with children, he lives in Plainfield, VT.