Opinion

By Stephen J. Dubner October 13, 2005, 8:24 pm

Thankyouthankyouthankyou (the Quill Awards)

By Stephen J. Dubner

In recent weeks, we asked you to consider voting for Freakonomics as Best Business Book in the inaugural Quill Awards. (We know, we know: it’s not a business book, but it apparently didn’t fit any other category.) Well, the event was held a couple of nights ago and … we won. So to all of you who voted, or who tried but were stymied by the gnarly Quill website, or who were required to enter a Zip code but, living as you do in Australia or India or the U.K. didn’t possess one: THANKS. The award ceremony was a black-tie thing in New York and I got to say hello to Jon Stewart again (he is funnier than the next ten funny people combined) as well as Maria Bartiromo (who presented our award) and a variety of other news, TV, and book people.

I sat at the HarperCollins table, right in front of the stage. The worst thing about this seating assignment was that one of the wandering TV-camera operators kept training her camera on me, hoping for goofy or scandalous B-roll, I imagine, or inappropriate laughter. The best thing was that Michael Morrison (Harper’s publisher) and I had a really good view of the TelePrompTer, which meant that we could figure out who was going to win an award a second or two before the presenter announced it. I have to say, when I saw the word “Freakonomics” scroll up there before Bartiromo announced it, I think I yelped a bit. Then I kissed my wife, jumped on the stage, shook Bartimoro’s hand (I don’t think I kissed her also, though I’ll have to watch the tape to be sure), gave an acceptance speech (I have no idea now what I actually said), and was then ushered, Oscars-like, down a long hallway to the winners’ pen, where Al Roker stuck a very long microphone in my face (Roker owns a company that produced the awards for TV) and asked me a variety of questions; again, I have no idea now what I actually said to him.

Here is a list of all the Quills winners. The event will be broadcast on some but not all NBC stations on Sat., Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. As they say, check your local listings. Most of all, THANKS FOR THE VOTES.

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4 Comments

  1. 1. October 14, 2005 7:23 am Link

    Congratulations. Well deserved.

    — TimHarford
  2. 2. October 14, 2005 7:37 am Link

    Mazel tov! A persuasive and thought-provoking book, written by kind and unique individuals.

    — mhertz
  3. 3. October 14, 2005 7:45 am Link

    WTG!! You guys deserve many more.

    — Gringo_Nordestino
  4. 4. October 14, 2005 7:55 am Link

    You guys did a great job. The honor is well deserved. Now, how are you going to top it?… ;o)

    — mensch

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About Freakonomics

Stephen J. Dubner is an author and journalist who lives in New York City.

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Steven D. Levitt is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago.

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Their book Freakonomics has sold 3 million copies worldwide. This blog, begun in 2005, is meant to keep the conversation going. Recurring guest bloggers include Ian Ayres, Jessica Hagy, Daniel Hamermesh, Sudhir Venkatesh, and Justin Wolfers.

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