In her 1981 collection of stories, In the Land of Dreamy Dreams, Ellen Gilchrist writes about New Orleans as no other writer. Laced with envy, greed, lust, terror, and self-deceit, her stories will shock and compel readers. Gilchrist's characters, women who dream of independent lives beyond the shadows of their husbands and fathers, resort to outrageous schemes in pursuit of freedom and fulfillment, despite the consequences. The range of emotions and realities encompassed by Gilchrist's work is suggested by the story titles: "Rich," "There's a Garden of Eden," "The Famous Poll at Jody's Bar," "In the Land of Dreamy Dreams," "Suicides," "1957, a Romance," "Generous Pieces," "Indignities," "Revenge," "Perils of the Nile," "Traveler," and "Summer, an Elegy."