Paper Trail

Spring 2007

Paperback 192 pages

Poetry

Shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay BC Book Prize for Poetry (winners announced on April 26, 2008)

Frances, a manager for a large corporation, appears to be very successful. But Frances finds her peace of mind unravelling as she becomes overwhelmed by the destructive bureaucratic nature of the work world she lives in. Frances starts to lose small body parts, hears mysterious Leider music booming throughout her workplace at random times during the day, and obsesses over the caymans that guard her office building. Meanwhile, her alter-ego has regular conversations with the ghost of Kafka, who is writing the manuscript in which Frances appears. Written halfway between poetry and prose, Paper Trail questions the rat race work ethic many of us adhere to, more often out of necessity than choice. Through the thoughts and deeds of Frances and her alter-ego, author Arleen Paré demonstrates the stress and loneliness of modern society, and the profound impact this can have on a person’s sanity.

For more information on Paper Trail and Arleen Paré, visit www.arleenpare.com.