Long before my first book came out, I imagined what it would feel like. I had ample time to do this while I was in that seemingly endless “sold but not published” stage. During this stage I found myself at parties, saying things like, “Why yes, I’m a writer but no, the book’s not out yet.” People would crook their eyebrows at me and then lose interest, clearly under the impression that I was the sort of pathetic person who went about making self-aggrandizing yet unproveable statements at cocktail parties.

I told myself that it would all be different when the book came out, in ways I couldn’t imagine. And of course, this was true: I really couldn’t imagine it, because I’d never had a book come out before, nor had anyone I knew. I supposed that my life would change somehow, or there might be bright lights of some kind, or even, though I was ashamed to admit it, glorious song. Why not? This was the realization of a childhood dream! Why shouldn’t there be an aria or two? People online claimed to burst into tears in the bookstore upon catching sight of their debut novels; some asserted that they kicked their spouses from the marital bed so they could cuddle up with their ARCs instead. I couldn’t quite see myself doing any of these things, but I allowed for the possibility that, perhaps, publishing a book flipped some interior switch and just like that I would go from somewhat repressed to open and emotional in ways that led to weeping in public and/or cuddling with inanimate objects.

And then, when the book did come out, it was… different than I’d imagined.

The evening kicked off with a live performance by the Hungry March Band followed by a brief fashion statement by fashion designer extraordinaire Edna Mode–via satellite–who made it very clear that cloaks, capes and ponchos–even the seemingly bullet proof variety– were nothing more than the fuel for fantasy and that in order to be truly “in fashion” one must have a firm grip on reality–particularly in terms of what’s needed to fund upcoming projects at 826NYC–the five day a week program drop-in program in Park Slope, Brooklyn that offers free tutoring, field trips and writing workshops to children ages 6-18.

Before the fashion show got underway, Rob Cordry of The Daily Show did a reading of a story by Jonathan Goldstein about his experience dating Lois Lane just after she broke up with Superman and how he was sure they were going to get back together as well as the circumstances that lead him to expose his fear of their reunion to his good friend Clark Kent.

Next up was Hodgman who explained why invisibility was a far greater super hero power than the ability to fly and equated anyone who chose flying over invisibility with the type of person who, if they had only one wish, would undoubtedly choose a really big swimming pool. It was a lot funnier when he said it.

And then came the fashion show.