Julie Schumacher
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher is a series of letters written by Jason Fitger, a beleaguered English professor in a small liberal arts college. Prof. Fitger writes letters of recommendation on behalf of his students as well as letters pleading for help from administrators and colleagues.
The novel is laugh out loud hilarious. The bizarre experiences, outlandish events, and colorful characters resonate with anyone familiar with the inner workings of higher education.
The novel is also very poignant: Those same experiences, events, and characters are a reminder of the marginalized status of Humanities and Fine Arts departments in higher education. Prof. Fitger’s attempts to obtain funding and resources for his department as well as his valiant requests for financial support for his students sound like cries in the wilderness.