A little elation at midnight.

Or: fraudulence has its moments.

How did it happen that I am teaching a Publication Studies class this semester? I can trace the genealogy of that decision, which goes a little something like this:

• Scotland daughter did a master's degree in Publication Studies at a university in Aberdeen.
• I thought, Publication Studies? That sounds awesome.
• I asked my daughter to send me a list of her courses which I wrote on a Post It note and stuck it on my credenza at work for several years.
• Meanwhile, I said to this and that person, "Wouldn't it be cool if we had a Publication Studies class?" When asked what this course might comprise, I said, "Well, we'd make books, and talk about the production and circulation of books, and stuff."
• Meanwhile meanwhile, our department developed a writing certificate program. Perfect opportunity for a Publication Studies class!
• So, Dr. Write and I, along with another of our colleagues, developed a Publication Studies course, with a sample syllabus.
• Et voila! I am teaching a Publication Studies course!

Am I an expert in anything whatsoever related to publication? Hmmm. I guess not.

Yet tonight, I figured out how to make this little layout in InDesign:

--which will enable me and my class to make little instant books tomorrow, in which we will write short "autobiographies in four books" (a thing I just now made up), and frankly, I could not be happier if I actually did know something about publication and books and circulation and stuff.