Dear Committee Members

Schumacher has written an academic comedy of manners in the grand tradition of LUCKY JIM, MOO, and STRAIGHT MAN. Robertson Dean narrates masterfully. Part of the fun of these books is the surprising literary form many take. Here Schumacher has outdone herself. This is an epistolary audiobook written entirely in letters of recommendation (LORs). Robertson Dean does a wonderful rendition of the aging English professor who is trapped literally--in a building under construction--and figuratively--by his romantic and professional missteps over two decades. As he should, Dean leaves the listener guessing about Professor Fitger's real feelings towards the denizens of Payne University as his life emerges through a torrent of LORs. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

June 9, 2014
Professor Jason Fitger, the hero of this engaging epistolary novel from Schumacher (The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls), is concerned about Darren Browles, a student of his currently at work on a novel. Fitger, who teaches creative writing at fictional Payne University, believes this book, when completed, will prove Browles to be a prodigy. Despite Fitger’s near-ecstatic praise of the would-be novelist, both for writing positions and for any job available, no one seems interested in hiring Browles, not even the less-than-enterprising college radio station. In addition to this pet project, Fitger commits himself to writing recommendations for anyone that asks. However, he agrees to do so only on the condition of being completely frank, leading him to address the personal lives of his colleagues and students inappropriately. Additionally, Fitger delves into his own life with uncomfortable honesty, regardless of which person he’s writing to, usually concerning the marriage-ending novel he wrote about his extramarital affairs and his distress over being a failed novelist. His letters become progressively more abrasive, to the point of insult. A creative writing professor herself, Schumacher crafts a suitably verbose but sympathetic voice for Fitger, a man who exudes both humor and heart. Agent: Lisa Bankoff, ICM Partners.