Volume 29, Homer Was an Epic Poet, will be sent out to the subscribership this morning. Although we have been having many of our books professionally printed of late, Homer seemed to call for a wire-o binding, which requires “hand work” and can’t be constructed on big machines. This means it would be very expensive to have someone else print and bind it for us. So we decided to make the book ourselves.

The first step is printing. Homer is 60 pages long. We made 320 copies. We used a lot of paper. Robbi spent two straight days printing the insides and the covers.

The next step was trimming the covers, which are constructed from a folded-over piece of card stock (to give the book rigidity).

Then I had to trim the insides. For the sake of efficiency, Robbi set up the file “two-up” so that two versions of each page would print on a single piece of 8.5″ x 11″ paper.

Once the covers and insides were trimmed to “finished size,” the size of the final book, I had to use our puncher to create a row of small squares along the biding edge. These squares accommodate the wire binding.

Once the holes were punched, I threaded in the wires, and left the books on the table for Robbi. I took a quiet moment to celebrate the completion of my part of the production.

The wires start “open,” like a C. Then we use a separate machine to “close” them around the book, until they are like an O. This holds the book together.

For some reason, I am utterly unable to successfully clamp the wires. Instead of turning into nice, round Os, when I clamp them, the wires turn into mangled oblong monstrosities.

So grudgingly, and with no small degree of hubris, Robbi steps in and does her part.

Eventually, we have a book.

Actually, we have stacks and stacks of books. Here is but a modest sampling.

Robbi’s interest in this book arose, in part from her uncanny resemblance to Homer.

Can you see it? I think it’s the eyebrows.

When we were done, we went to look for our children. Alden hadn’t been heard from in a while.

It’s hard to be the daughter of people who make books. At least she had monkey and potty, her stand-in parents, to keep her company.

We tucked her into bed and then followed suit. The next morning, we assembled the mailing. I could post photos and tell you all about it, but there are limits to how much I’m willing to test your patience on this blog.

As soon as the post office opens, I’m driving over with our mail bins.

Subscribers, keep your eyes on the mailbox.