On Novemeber 21 one of my Marilyn Monroe portfolios will be auctioned at Christie’s London /Photographs. [Sale # 5167 Lot # 0583] . It is described as “self published”, which, in the world of photography means something different than in literary matters. It indicates that the work was photographed, printed and signed by the photographer. This is a clean artistic statement and gives me pleasure. My wife, Elaine Sernovitz Zimbel , the writer and psychotherapist, decided to self-publish her literary memoir “ Bullet to the Heart, One to the Brain “ (iuniverse 2005. ISBN 9780595369348 ). We have had many discussions about this route of authoriship. Of course I thought about photography, and realised that literary self publishing is the same. The author creates, edits, chooses the cover and type and puts cash down as a statement of belief in the work. As with the Christie’s auction, the public will decide if it has value. That is the way it should be.