Catherine Ritchie, the Adult Materials Selector at Dallas Public Library, has again presented her “best of the year” list for 2015. Her list comprised of 5 books that she has experienced over the past year, one of them is titled, Dear Committee Members — Julie Schumacher (Fiction)

“Who says great fiction needs narrative description, character dialogue, etc., etc., etc.?,” Richie questioned.

She noted that this title is brilliant comic novel and writes thus:

“[It] gives the lone voice of one 50-something Jason Fitger, a professor of English at a fictional, less-than-Harvard-caliber university, as he writes endless mind-numbing “Letters of Recommendation” (aka, LORs) for students he often barely knows, along with many other, often crisis-driven missives to colleagues (including one ex-wife and one could-have-been girlfriend), reflecting the sad state of institutional academia and of his own literary career, circa 2009-2010.”

“That’s right: this book consists only of LETTERS,” she noted.

She reflected that this is a keen portrait of one man’s struggle to fight the good bureaucratic fight for the causes of proper English, personal integrity, and the one solitary student he finds exceptional, along the way.

Fitger, the character, she also noted offers a rollicking view of such topics as the dark and smelly side of building renovation; how e-mail is not always your friend; and the questionable state of literary fiction publishing, among much else.

“Reader laughter will come in waves and then may abruptly morph when Jason receives unexpected news. This novel flows quickly, but unforgettably,” she concluded.

Readers Bureau

Edited by Jesus Chan

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