Lydia Paar has dedicated the majority of nearly four decades to the American labor market, starting as a 14-year-old “sandwich artist” at Subway and culminating in her present role teaching writing at the University of Arizona. Along the way, she has been a Blockbuster video clerk, bartender, waitress, factory laborer, hostel cleaner, and the voice behind a chatbot — to mention just a few.

In total, she has occupied about 30 positions across eight states, all of which have positioned her uniquely to grasp the experience of living from paycheck to paycheck. These roles also provided her with insights into human interactions, ranging from supervisors who scolded her to colleagues who turned into friends or love interests, to companions who became distant. In essence, her nomadic workforce experience has granted her a close viewpoint on social mobility (or the absence thereof) in the United States, as well as a treasure trove of material.

She commenced penning her memoir in essay form, with some pieces having been featured in literary journals and anthologies. She honed her narrative abilities at Prescott College and Northern Arizona University, where she obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in writing, respectively. However, it was during her time as a student in WashU’s MFA Program that the concept for The Exit Is the Entrance: Essays on Escape (University of Georgia Press, September 2024) solidified, a book that chronicles her journey from that Subway establishment to academia. Each essay can exist independently, yet collectively they provide the reader with a guide on how to progress amidst significant challenges.

One of the essays, “The Cockroach Prayer,” reflects on her short stint in the military, which concluded with her decision to go AWOL during basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. This becomes understandable when one learns she was compelled to participate in military drills while reporting pain, only to later discover — in a hospital — that she had a fractured femur, two broken ribs, and a cracked pelvis. “Enlisting in the Army Reserves,” she writes, “felt akin to a desire for adventure, something you sought, but perhaps you opened the door a tad too wide.”

“The Cockroach Prayer” was one of the pieces submitted alongside her application to WashU. As an MFA student, she recalls grappling with how to organize her memoir. “I felt as if I was consistently writing about violence,” she states. “I believed the book would contain less ‘me’ and more researched content on military violence, economic violence, class violence, emotional violence.”

However, two professors at WashU and her peers aided in shaping the book through workshops with a supportive group. “It was a classmate, Gwen Niekamp, who suggested, ‘You’ve held so many unusual jobs. Why not make this thematically centered around work?’ I adored that inspiration.”

Moreover, she acknowledges Kathleen Finneran, senior writer in residence, and Edward McPherson, associate professor of English, both within Arts & Sciences, for elevating the book from simple reporting to artistry. “They demanded exactness,” she explains. “They’d ask, ‘Alright, you’re discussing this character who’s a real person and asserting something about their actions or what you believe their motivations were, but can we witness that? Can we see it illustrated?’”

She has indeed illustrated that and more with The Exit Is the Entrance, emerging as a writer unburdened by fear. “I possess a plethora of memories from my life,” she shares. “But instead of attempting to shift it into fiction — which many authors execute far more skillfully than I — if I’m bold enough, I recount my own experiences as I recall them, and place myself openly on the plate.”

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