The Most Dreadful Witness

The Most Dreadful Witness is a novel about two ill-matched guardian angels who've been given the task of looking after a hard drinking college professor. The setting is a small college town in western Kansas, and the professor in question is a psychology professor. Woody Pickens is married, has two children, and a good job. But he also has a drinking problem that is steadily dragging him down. Doug "Salty" Anderson, the senior guardian angel, has been on the job for fourteen years. He's a former professional rodeo cowboy from Texas, and a military officer who was killed in action in Vietnam. The job of guarding Woody has become more than he can handle, and he starts making repeated requests for a partner. The Central Office for Custodial Services finally relents and sends in Dewey Davvison, a former haridresser from Chicago. The two men, needless to say, don't see eye to eye when it comes to guarding Woody Pickens. And guarding this particular college professor is no easy chore. Woody is reckless and sometimes self-destructive, but his escapades are often humorous. This novel examines the causes behind his heavy drinking and rude behavior - his family history, rocky marriage, involvment in campus politics, and friendships and associations. Humor is intended, but the book is filled with serious discussions between the two guardian angels. Dewey is a sensitive, intelligent, thoughtful individual, while Salty is a more practical but somewhat crude man. They clash on occasions, but a fond friendship develops between them, due in part to a coming together of ideas and common concerns. This narrative is not a roller coaster ride through the life and times of a rowdy college professor. It is more a progression of events and circumstances leading toward a climactic ending. And more importantly, although it is strictly fiction, it is a story that could have happened.
About the Author: Philip Martin Cawlfield is a retired college professor from Oklahoma, now living in the hill country of central Texas. His specialty as a professor was political science, but he's always been interested in psychology, philosophy, and sociology. His profession gave him time to travel, explore, and meet interesting people. These things show up from time to time in his writings. He has been writing poetry, songs, short stories, novellas, and novels for thirty years. Most people know him as Phil Martin, but he sometimes writes under his father's given name - Philip Martin Cawlfield.