flˈɛtʃɚ hæd ɐ dɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃt kɚɹˈɪɹ æt ɹˈiːdɪŋ, ɡˈeɪnɪŋ ɐ pˌiːˈeɪtʃ dˈiː, hɪz ˈoʊnli dᵻɡɹˈiː, wɪð ɐ θˈiːsɪs ɔnðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌvðə lˈɪɾəl mˌæɡɐzˈiːn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv, ænd pɹəɡɹˈɛsɪŋ tʊ ɐ pɹəfˈɛsɚʃˌɪp ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt.
Fletcher had a distinguished career at Reading, gaining a PhD, his only degree, with a thesis on the history of the little magazine in 1965, and progressing to a professorship in 1978.