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Graydon Carter Reflects on Vanity Fair Era in New Memoir

The former editor-in-chief recounts the magazine's golden age, the rise of the Oscars party, and his decision to ban Harvey Weinstein.

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Graydon Carter, the Canadian journalist who served as the editor of Vanity Fair from 1992 until 2017, at his apartment in the Greenwich neighborhood of New York, March 5, 2025. In his new memoir, “When the Going Was Good,” the editor from the heyday of glossy magazines dishes about Anna Wintour and recounts his long-running feud with Donald Trump. (Dana Scruggs/The New York Times)

Overview

  • Graydon Carter's memoir, 'When the Going Was Good,' releases March 25, 2025, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his 25-year tenure at Vanity Fair.
  • Carter launched the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 1994, which became a symbol of Hollywood exclusivity and glamour.
  • Harvey Weinstein was the only celebrity banned for life from the Oscars party due to bullying staff and exceeding guest limits; the ban was briefly lifted but later reinstated.
  • Carter describes his early years at Vanity Fair as challenging, citing a 'poisonous atmosphere' stemming from staff loyalty to his predecessor, Tina Brown.
  • The memoir highlights the broader cultural and economic shifts in the magazine industry, including the decline of print and the rise of digital media.