A book-sized box was delivered to my door yesterday afternoon. Not an uncommon occurrence, except I wasn’t expecting anything. I am expecting a couple books for review but had accepted them just before Christmas and I thought, wow, those got here awful fast.

The box was heavy. Someone from Oxford University Press in the U.S. sent it to me. What could it be?

I opened it up to find two annotated instructor’s copies of a college-level writing textbook called How Writing Works. I believe I might have squealed after that. Why would I get so excited over a freshman composition textbook?

Turn to page 742 and you will find my blog post Eating Animals. I got a tiny biography, and after the essay there are three discussion questions and a writing assignment directing students to write an informal response to a book or article they have read recently.

I think I might has squealed again.

I knew my essay was going to be in the book. I had gotten an email from someone at OUP over a year and a half ago. At first glance I thought it was some kind of scam. On second glance I thought maybe it was legit. So I replied with my address and about a week later I got a contract in the mail. Shut the front door! I yelled, this is for real! Except I am pretty sure I used profanity because that’s what you do when you are shocked out of your gourd. I signed it and sent it away. On the line for payment I said two finished copies of the book. And then I pretty much forgot about it.

Yesterday I got paid.

Every time I see the book on my desk I start giggling. My essay is going to be used to torture college freshman. I feel like I have hit the big time.