Dawn. A weak sun breaks over the teeming city, downtown Manhattan. Horns honk, jackhammers prattle but inside Room 1665, the nerve center of Spinetingler’s Edgars News coverage, the coffee is brewing, and two bleary-eyed writers get back to work after a few hours of restless shut-eye.
Elaine: Al, how many people do you figure were at the awards last night?
Al: At least 500. Lots of distinguished, white-haired men in tuxedos and women who know what a little black dress is all about.
Elaine: I was struck at how approachable people were. Everybody made eye contact. You could say hi and be acknowledged—everybody would engage in conversation. It ain’t that way in LA, baby. Go to a movie event and see if the general attendee will give you the time of day. You have to be somebody to get eye contact. This New York trip has impressed me.
Al: I think I have mushroom soup where my brain used to be.
Elaine: There’s a fresh bottle of jack on the bedside table. Crack it open and let’s get down to the speeches. Notable moments:
“When I started writing at 60, I had many bad moments thinking I just should have gone out and bought a red convertible. I could not be more pleased. Thank you.”
Charlie Price. winner best young Adult,
“Four years of Toastmasters has not prepared me for this.”
Dori Hillstad Butler, winner Best Juvenile
I’d like to apologize to Steve Ross, who came all the way from New Zealand to possibly win this award. Too bad! [laughter] My short story was 16,000 words and set in the Civil War. I’d like to thank my agent Nat Sobel, and the MWA because I had no hope of this story going anywhere without them.
Doug Allyn, winner Best Short Story
“Murder like potato chip; cannot stop with just one.”
Yunte Huang, winner Best Critical/Biographical
“Thank you to those who went on-record to expose the dark heart of a town.”
Ken Armstrong, winner, Best Fact Crime
“I’d like to thank my publisher, Samuel French, for my advance of one thousand dollars.”
Sam Bobrick, winner Best Play
“The act of writing can seem to be the loneliest thing in the world. At times I thought this book was the biggest mistake I ever made. It needed to be rewritten twice. I’d made a name for myself writing dialogue and in this book, my main character never spoke one word out loud.”
Steve Hamilton, Best Novel
“This must be what it feels like to have your name engraved on the Stanley Cup. I’d like to thank Otto Penzler, who calls himself the godfather of my book. He is.”
Bruce DeSilva, best First Novel by an American Author
Al: I think we’re done here. I have some research to do on a story involving hotel security cameras. If I get caught lurking in a stairwell or someplace, you know nothing. Got it?
Elaine: Okay, Al, I’m off to the airport. I’ve had three hours sleep since Tuesday. I guess that makes me a lightweight by hard partying MWA standards.
Al and Elaine: The staff at Spinetingler were fantastic at breaking the news immediately as we texted the winners from the live banquet. Thanks, Brian Lindemuth and everybody! Thanks also to publicist extraordinaire Meryl Zegarek and her stellar assistant Rachel. Our deepest gratitude to Margery Flax, MWA, the hardest working woman in New York last night.
