THE PAPER TRAIL by Michael Dorris...

THE PAPER TRAIL by Michael Dorris (HarperPerennial: $12; 371 pp.). Michael Dorris discusses a variety of topics in this collection of essays such as fetal alcohol syndrome (a rapidly increasing problem in the U.S.) and his experiences raising a child damaged by it; Native American literature and its underrepresentation in college courses. Reflecting on his Native American ancestry, Dorris remarks: “We are all descended from the same primordial roots--no living human being boasts a lineage more ancient than another’s and, conversely, all living human beings are equally ‘modern.’ We are each of us, one or another, survivors whose ancestors, through good fortune or wise choice, formed an unbroken relay: we but carry the baton in the current lap.” Dorris continually delights the reader with the thoughtful grace of his style.