Schumacher is the first woman ever awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and her Dear Committee Members isn’t just funny, it’s a modern classic of academic satire. Told in the form of letters of recommendation written by Jason Fitger, a professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, the novel brilliantly captures the funding woes and the inter- and intra-departmental battles endemic to academia, as well as the professional and romantic difficulties particular to Professor Fitger. In this eagerly awaited sequel, the widely disliked but generally trusted Fitger has become the chair of the English department. From his new position of authority he struggles to prove that universities can’t exist on adjunct faculty alone and that the humanities are still viable in a digital world, all while competing for funds with the econ department.