Julie Schumacher

It's hard to say if Schumacher - a creative writing/English prof at the University of Minnestoa - is burning bridges with this book, or whether it's just long-needed therapy after a career in academia, or whether it was just too delicious a topic to pass up. In any event, this short novel consists of a series of letters of recommendations from the pen of Jason Fitger, a world-weary writing professor at a small, floundering midwestern college. He's doing so on behalf of students and colleagues and the letters are frequently addressed to others in the College Biz or the publishing industry - many of whom are ex-lovers, disgruntled enemies or both. While the epistolary style is limiting in terms of physical description and normal character development, compelling plot strands gradually reveal themselves. Fitger is a hilarious and anachronistic misanthrope - perhaps the closest character we've had to Ignatius Reilly - and I just could not stop cackling as I read. Astonishingly, for all the satire and spot-on pop culture punchlines, the book takes a decidedly dark turn at the end. It surprised me - and made the novel more than just a mirthful romp.

- RICK KOSTER