Graydon Carter is a name that defined an era. As the longtime editor of Vanity Fair and co-founder of Spy magazine, he wasn’t just a journalist—he was a gatekeeper of culture, a kingmaker in Hollywood, and the man behind some of the most talked-about magazine covers in history.
Now, Carter is stepping back into the spotlight with his memoir, When the Going Was Good: An Editor’s Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines. In it, he paints a vivid picture of the days when magazine publishing was at its peak—when editors had power, photo shoots were extravagant, and Hollywood elite fought for a spot at Vanity Fair’s annual Oscar party.
But the book is more than nostalgia. Carter also shares inside stories about banning Harvey Weinstein, Meghan Markle’s media missteps, and his thoughts on the rise of digital journalism.
Let’s take a closer look at the man, the magazine empire, and the memoir that has everyone talking.
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The Last Golden Age of Magazines
If you miss the days when glossy magazines ruled culture, Carter’s memoir will hit home. He describes a world where editors had near-unlimited budgets, photo shoots were elaborate productions, and covers had the power to make or break a celebrity.
“At Vanity Fair, money wasn’t a problem. If we wanted a shot in Paris, we got a shot in Paris,” Carter writes. “It was an era of excess, but it made for some damn good journalism.”
Of course, that world no longer exists. Print magazines have shrunk, budgets have disappeared, and digital media has taken over. But Carter’s stories transport readers back to a time when the industry was at its most powerful.
(Read more from Los Angeles Times)
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Harvey Weinstein: Hollywood’s Biggest Power Player, Until He Wasn’t
One of the biggest revelations in the book? Carter reveals that Harvey Weinstein was banned from Vanity Fair’s Oscar party long before his downfall.
The reason? Weinstein was known for bringing uninvited guests, making outrageous demands, and treating people badly. Eventually, Carter decided enough was enough and cut him off.
It’s a reminder that while Hollywood turned a blind eye to Weinstein’s behavior for years, Carter was one of the few people who had the power—and the guts—to say no.
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Meghan Markle’s Vanity Fair Cover: A Lesson in Media Realities
In 2017, Meghan Markle appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair—her first major magazine feature since her relationship with Prince Harry became public. Markle reportedly believed the interview would focus on her philanthropy. Instead, it was all about her romance with the prince.
According to Carter, Markle was blindsided by the angle, which he says showed a certain media naivety. “Of course, we were going to focus on the relationship,” Carter writes. “It was the biggest story about her at the time.”
It’s a fascinating insight into how media and celebrity narratives are shaped—sometimes with or without the subject’s approval.
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From Print to Digital: Carter’s New Chapter with Air Mail
After leaving Vanity Fair in 2017, Carter didn’t disappear. Instead, he launched Air Mail, a digital newsletter designed to bring back the in-depth storytelling and thoughtful journalism of old-school print media.
Air Mail is his answer to a fast-paced, click-driven world. It’s a curated collection of long-form journalism, interviews, and cultural commentary—delivered straight to subscribers every weekend.
While magazines may not be what they once were, Carter isn’t ready to stop shaping the media landscape.
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Why Graydon Carter’s Memoir Matters
When the Going Was Good is more than just one man’s story—it’s a love letter to a golden age of journalism, a cautionary tale about the changing media landscape, and a juicy, behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood, publishing, and power.