The Shakespeare Requirement

The Shakespeare Requirement follows Professor Jason Fitger, chair of the English department at Payne University, as he navigates academic politics and bureaucratic challenges. His department faces budget cuts and internal discord while the Economics department thrives with new funding and renovated office space. Fitger must secure unanimous approval for the department's Statement of Vision, which requires including Shakespeare as a graduation requirement - a surprisingly contentious issue among his colleagues. Meanwhile, he contends with a crumbling office building, difficult personnel decisions, and the constant stream of recommendation letters students need for various applications. The narrative tracks both major departmental crises and smaller daily frustrations of academic life, from curriculum debates to temperature control problems. Multiple subplots involve other faculty members and students, creating a full picture of life at this midwestern university. The novel exposes the tensions between humanities and STEM fields in modern universities, while examining questions about the value of classical education in a technology-focused world. Through humor and academic satire, it considers what is worth preserving and what must change in higher education.

Readers found this academic satire entertaining but less impactful than Schumacher's previous novel "Dear Committee Members." Many noted the accurate portrayal of university politics and department infighting. Liked: - Authentic depiction of academic bureaucracy - Strong character development of side characters - Humor that resonates with those in academia - Sharp observations about higher education Disliked: - Slower pace than the previous book - Less compelling main plot - Too many subplots that don't connect - Some found it "too inside baseball" for non-academic readers Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (180+ ratings) Review quotes: "Captures the absurdity of university administration perfectly" - Goodreads reviewer "Lost steam halfway through" - Amazon reviewer "Funny but meandering" - BookPage reader review "The academic meetings are painfully accurate" - LibraryThing review

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🎭 Julie Schumacher became the first woman to win the Thurber Prize for American Humor in 2015 for "Dear Committee Members," the predecessor to "The Shakespeare Requirement" 📚 The book satirizes the real-life tensions between humanities and STEM departments in modern universities, particularly the push to defund traditional liberal arts programs ✍️ The author drew from her own experiences as a professor at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches Creative Writing and Literature 🎓 The novel's fictional Payne University is a composite of several Midwestern colleges and universities where the author has taught or studied 📝 The book's format abandons the epistolary style of its predecessor "Dear Committee Members" in favor of traditional third-person narration, though it follows the same main character, Jason Fitger