When the Going Was Good

📘 About This Book

One of NPR's Best Books of the Year • An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the pages of Vanity Fair to the red carpets of Hollywood, editor Graydon Carter’s memoir revives the glamorous heyday of print magazines when they were at the vanguard of American culture When Graydon Carter was offered the editorship of Vanity Fair in 1992, he knew he faced an uphill battle—how to make the esteemed and long-established magazine his own. Not only was he confronted with a staff that he perceived to be loyal to the previous regime, but he arrived only a few years after launching Spy magazine, which gloried in skewering the celebrated and powerful—the very people Vanity Fair venerated. With curiosity, fearlessness, and a love of recent history and glamour that would come to define his storied career in magazines, Carter succeeded in endearing himself to his editors, contributors, and readers, as well as those who would grace the pages of Vanity Fair. He went on to run the magazine with overwhelming success for the next two and a half decades. Filled with colorful memories and intimate details, When the Going Was Good is Graydon Carter’s lively recounting of how he made his mark as one of the most talented editors in the business. Moving to New York from Canada, he worked at Time, Life, The New York Observer, and Spy, before catching the eye of Condé Nast chairman Si Newhouse, who pulled him in to run Vanity Fair. In Newhouse he found an unwavering champion, a loyal proprietor who gave Carter the editorial and financial freedom to thrive. Annie Leibovitz’s photographs would come to define the look of the magazine, as would the “New Establishment” and annual Hollywood issues. Carter further planted a flag in Los Angeles with the legendary Vanity Fair Oscar party. With his inimitable voice and signature quip, he brings readers to lunches and dinners with the great and good of America, Britain, and Europe. He assembled one of the most formidable stables of writers and photographers under one roof, and here he re-creates in real time the steps he took to ensure Vanity Fair cemented its place as the epicenter of art, culture, business, and politics, even as digital media took hold. Charming, candid, and brimming with stories, When the Going Was Good perfectly captures the last golden age of print magazines from the inside out.

📖 Summary

When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter is an engaging and vibrant biographical memoir that transports readers back to the glamorous heyday of print media. Spanning 433 pages, the book chronicles Carter's remarkable journey from his early days to his storied career at the helm of cultural institutions. The narrative opens with his pivotal appointment as the editor of Vanity Fair in 1992, a moment that presented an immediate and formidable challenge. Taking over an established, prestigious publication meant navigating a newsroom full of legacy staff who remained intensely loyal to the previous regime. Compounding this pressure was Carter's recent past; only a few years prior, he had co-launched Spy magazine, a satirical publication that gleefully skewered the very same celebrated figures, moguls, and powerful elites whom Vanity Fair traditionally venerated. Despite these hurdles, Carter approached his new role with a potent mix of curiosity, fearlessness, and a deep appreciation for recent history and high-society glamour. Under his guidance, Vanity Fair became a central vanguard of American culture, bridging the gap between high-end journalism, Hollywood red carpets, and biting cultural commentary. As an instant New York Times Bestseller and an NPR Best Book of the Year, the memoir offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the magazine industry during an era when glossy print pages held immense cultural sway. Carter reflects on the personalities, the parties, the high-stakes editorial decisions, and the unique alchemy required to keep a major magazine relevant and influential. Through sharp wit and candid storytelling, the author paints a vivid portrait of an era in media that has largely vanished, capturing the excitement and audacity of a time when print magazines truly shaped the zeitgeist.

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