A cross-section of Americans--from an embittered Miss America to Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Jesse Helms to a KKK member, from businessmen and Brahmins to activists and immigrants--speak of their hopes, expectations, and disappointment Concerned with the "American Dream", the author of the text discusses the ideals and aspirations with businessmen enamoured of success, farm kids dreaming of the city, city boys determined to get out, the Boston Brahmin and KKK members. Introduction xvii Prologue 1(1) Miss U.S.A. Emma Knight 1(5) The Stream Leonel I. Castillo 6(5) BOOK ONE Onward and Upward 11(67) The Boss Wallace Rasmussen 13(5) Gaylord Freeman 18(3) S. B. Fuller 21(6) Jim Vrettos 27(2) Dan O'Brien 29(4) Bill Veek 33(1) The Hired Gun, The Travelin' Lady, The Wanderin' Kid, and The Indian Jay Slabaugh 34(4) Rosalie Sorrells 38(5) Ann Banks 43(4) Vine Deloria 47(4) Fantasia Jill Robinson 51(8) Joan Crawford 59(2) Sharon Fox 61(3) Carey Edwards 64(2) Ted Turner 66(3) John Fielding 69(5) True Beliver Matt Matejkowski 74(4) Ocanaan Land 78(70) Ariving: Then Andy Johnson 78(3) Vernon Jarrett 81(11) Thomas Boylston Adams 92(4) Angelo Rocco 96(6) Stanley Cygan 102(2) Dora Rosenzweig 104(8) Generations: First and Second Norman Maclean 112(2) Florence Scala 114(3) Stella Nowicki 117(5) Leon Duncan 122(2) Rafael Rosa 124(2) Arriving: Now Arnold Schwarzenegger 126(3) Karlis Enins 129(2) Miguel Cortez 131(3) Anastasias (Andy) Kostelis 134(3) Going and Coming Jenny Bird 137(5) Peggy Terry 142(6) In the Country 148(64) Stirrings in the Field Herschel Ligon 148(3) Jessie de la Cruz 151(10) Them Aki and Jun Kurose 161(10) Girl of the Golden West Ramona Bennett 171(7) Sowing on the Mountain Florence Reese 178(5) Joe Begley 183(6) Gaynell Begley 189(3) The Diploma Hartman Turnbow 192(8) C. P. Ellis 200(12) In the City 212(67) Neighborhood Boy Ben Green 212(5) Ken Jackson 217(8) Bill Lesko 225(4) Roger Tuttrup 229(4) Bob Luce 233(2) Ed Sadlowski 235(7) Neighborhood Familiar Ray Kaepplinger 242(6) Ruth Curry 248(5) Charlie Dellakamp 253(3) Claire Hellstern 256(6) Alone George Malley 262(3) Stirrings in the Neighborhood Mary Lou Wolff 265(7) Nancy Jefferson 272(7) BOOK TWO Dreams: Public and Private 279(59) Visions John Howard Griffin 281(4) George Putnam 285(3) Elizabeth Ross 288(5) Mrs. George Upham Baylies 293(4) Dr. Whitney Addington 297(3) Erma ``Tiny'' Motton 300(3) Winning Lee Kunzman 303(4) Claude Humphrey 307(3) Gathering and Letting Go Mildred Olmstead 310(2) Stephen Cruz 312(5) Linda Christianson 317(5) Carol and Tony Danlow 322(3) Helen and Scott Nearing 325(5) Mother & Son Dorothy Lawson McCall 330(5) Tom McCall 335(3) They also Serve . . . 338(66) Politics James Abourezk 338(3) Jesse Helms 341(3) Dennis Kucinich 344(6) Vito Marzullo 350(5) Coleman Young 355(13) John and Karl John McClaughery 368(4) Karl Hess 372(6) A Homily on Duty Frank Willis 378(4) Editor and Publisher Pat and Tom Gish 382(6) Bob Brown 388(6) Jann Wenner 394(4) Ron McCrea 398(6) The Young: Spectators and Gladiators 404(59) The Girl Next-Door Linda Hass 404(5) The Graduates Sam Lopez 409(9) Rose Rigsby 418(5) The Girl Across the Tracks Sarah Palmer 423(5) Family Portraits Frank Mueller 428(2) Beth Campbell 430(4) A Certain Smile Jennifer Taylor 434(3) Pandarik Das (Harold Lewis) 437(2) Touching Thirty Bruce Bendinger 439(6) Jodean Culbert 445(3) Tom Burns 448(4) William Gothard 452(3) Sam Lovejoy 455(8) Epilogue 463 The Woods Bob Ziak 463 The Train Clarence Spencer 468