The Edgars in Bulletpoints

And possibly in chronological order, but not really:

Boy, there were a whole lot of tuxedos this year. I wonder what the proportion was of rented versus bought.
Dave White has wicked cool ARCs and even better faux pas.
I still think Jerry Orbach was a better host, but having had more time to think about it, Al Roker did a pretty good job. I just don’t think he’ll be repeating duties.
It ended at 9:45. These things NEVER end before 10. No wonder the bar afterwards was so damn crowded.
When it comes to brokering introductions, I have no shame.
Stephen King deserved both standing ovations. Donald Westlake deserved the first one. So what seemed a bit of a gaffe worked out very well.
I could listen to Westlake talk for hours.
King’s speech: short, eloquent, passionate about genre (“anyone who says this isn’t mainstream fiction is saying bullshit”) and very much what the room needed to hear. Ridley Pearson & Dave Barry’s intro was pretty funny.
The video clip of King performing with the Rock Bottom Remainders: priceless. His voice is a little Shel Silverstein-ish, actually.
Sandra Brown co-presented the best first awards and after it was over, Roker cracked “Janet Evanovich wants her hair back.”
There aren’t too many Best First winners who thank a trio of editors, but Alex Berenson thanked Jonathan Karp (acquired, then left to form his own imprint, Twelve) Mark Tavani (editor of record for THE FAITHFUL SPY) and Neil Nyren (Berenson’s new editor at Putnam.)
Berenson also was the beneficiary of the broken Edgar -the award split in two just before the nominees were introduced.
Cornelia Read to Berenson during the cocktail hour: “if I have to lose it should be to you because your book was amazing.”
I will never think of sparkles quite the same way again.
Where there was Sam Tanenhaus, there was Dori Weintraub.
It was good to see Richard Abate on more festive terms. (And I so called MANHUNT to win.)
Charles Ardai sold his first story to EQMM at the ripe old age of 17. Goddamn. It was great to see him win though.
Did anyone but anyone pick Jason Goodwin? But Sarah Crichton’s speech was refreshingly candid (she admitted she didn’t expect him to win and dissauded Goodwin from flying over from England) and she was understandably thrilled. Hope she did reach him by cell phone though…
Best dressed: is it terrible that I wasn’t paying much attention? Naomi Novik’s dress was great and Twist Phelan had a gorgeous red Vera Wang frock. Regina Harvey looked fab in her black pantsuit and I really liked Cornelia’s tux (though I don’t know how she breathed, I really don’t.) Same with Rebecca Pawel’s wine-colored dress and oh, I guess I was paying attention…
There ain’t nobody like Kelly Lange.
By staying late at the Hyatt bar, I got to see a fight break out. And watch Barry Eisler (among others) be among those to break it up.
Department of Small World: I first met Jonathan Hayes five years ago when I interned with the ME’s Office (medicolegal investigations unit) halfway through my graduate school degree. Flash forward and he’s attending his first Edgars in advance of the publication of his first novel this November. I don’t know everybody, but sometimes it does feel like it…