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Noel Polk (Mississippi State University), noted Faulkner scholar, offered his take on Choking Dead Chickens. “Marc, I retrieved your manuscript from the office about 2 today, brought it home and sat down to skim a few pages to see what was up. 3 hours later, I turned the last page. Damn, Marc, it’s a fine piece of writing-sharp, funny, interesting, infuriating, extremely well-written and crafted-the best read I’ve had from a colleague in a long time. As fiction, it’s the beginning of as sharp and clear a satire on university life as any I know; as non-fiction, it’s devastating and entirely believable (I can only assume I would have heard if there had been a car bomb and arrests [i.e., DID I MISS THE CAR BOMB REPORT ON TV?], though I do remember the dog attack. So, I enjoyed reading it a lot. (I’m sending this on my aol account, as you can see, not the university email, which I usually use!) Cheers. Noel” I didn’t know Noel Polk except by reputation. Dr. Frank Howell offered the following comment. “Fantastic read…but oh-so valid rendition of many campuses! I ran across the author’s notation of his new novel in the Chronicle of Higher Education and knew I had to read it. I did over the next two days. It’s a great, great plot…not used in other “ivory tower” novels that I’ve read … but one rooted in validity. Dr. Frank M. Howell” I didn’t know Frank Howell either. Brief Bio: My experience includes: tenured full professor; publications in the areas of logic, ethics, finance, law, operations research, and accounting; infantry officer (captain), U.S. Marine Corps. My doctorate was interdisciplinary including philosophy–primarily logic, philosophy of science, and ethics–and business and accounting. Another novel is also completed. It is set in Kentucky bluegrass country at a time in the not-so-distant future when genetically modified tobacco is intentionally unleashed in the environment to destroy the cigarette industry. The short-term consequences are horrific. Other novels are in process. Chauncey Marcellous (Marc) DePree, Jr., DBA. Editor, usmnews.net. marcdepree@gmail.com 601-297-3404.