As a long-time admirer of Graydon Carter and his illustrious career at the helm of Vanity Fair, I eagerly await the release of his memoir, “When the Going Was Good.” The cover, featuring a younger, dapper Carter with a cigarette in hand, is a testament to an era that defined the power and allure of journalism.
Graydon Carter is set to unveil insights from his long-running tenure as editor of Vanity Fair. The Hollywood Reporter has been granted exclusive access to the cover of Carter’s upcoming memoir, scheduled for release on March 25 by Penguin Press.
The cover of the book “When the Going Was Good: An Editor’s Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines” showcases a young Carter dressed in a custom-made business suit, holding a cigarette, and his distinctive feathered hairstyle starting to grow.
In 1992, Carter, aged 75, was presented with the opportunity to lead at Condé Nast magazine. This followed Tina Brown’s departure, as she had been editor since 1984 and decided to move on to The New Yorker.
For approximately twenty-five years following his immigration from Canada in 1979, Carter, who had previously led the trailblazing satirical publication Spy, significantly evolved the magazine into an essential monthly read.
His magazine, “Vanity Fair,” was filled with stories about extravagant wealth, famous personalities, and captivating real-life crime cases – and sometimes, as in Dominic Dunne’s groundbreaking coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial, it encompassed all three elements. Notable figures who contributed during that time include Christopher Hitchens, James Wolcott, Maureen Orth, and Nancy Jo Sales.
Back then, we had town cars, town houses, and high-priced expense accounts for leading editors. Among the few remaining from that old time is Anna Wintour, former editor-in-chief at Vogue who currently holds the dual role as artistic director for all Condé Nast properties.
It’s only when we leave a time of great prosperity that we truly appreciate it,” says Carter, aged 75. “My intention was to convey the energetic drive and pure enjoyment of those remarkable periods to others.
One of Carter’s enduring impacts on the entertainment-media scene was the yearly “Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue,” being featured in which signified a star had truly made it. At its height, the covers showcased some of the world’s most recognized faces, immortalized by photographer Annie Leibovitz much like Renaissance paintings. Regular contributors also included Herb Ritts, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber.
In his own words, Carter expressed that among all his Hollywood Issue covers, the one graced by Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Zendaya, Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro and himself was one of his top favorites. Radikha Jones has been the editor-in-chief at Vanity Fair since Carter’s departure in 2017.
He organized the magazine’s yearly Academy Awards party, an event that continues to be highly coveted on Oscar night. The highlight of each gathering for Carter was returning to the hotel, knowing that the night had been a triumph.
Instead of reminiscing about the star-studded Hollywood parties, what Carter truly yearns for is the routine of publishing the magazine from New York – an experience that, during its heyday, held its own charm and sparkle.
He describes the office as vibrant and full of intelligent, well-groomed younger professionals, creating an exciting camaraderie.
Currently, Carter manages Air Mail, a weekly newsletter that caters to globally-minded individuals, which he initiated in the year 2019.
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2024-09-26 16:24