When the Going Was Good

An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines

De: Graydon Carter, James Fox - contributor

Narrado por: Graydon Carter

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 many of the faces that would come to appear in Vanity Fair’s pages. 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 listeners 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.

©2025 Graydon Carter (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Canadian journalist Graydon Carter learned the ropes at Time and Life before co-founding the magazine Spy. But he’s best known for his work as editor of Vanity Fair between 1992 and 2017, the period that dominates his breezy memoir. There’s Hollywood gossip, score-settling and tales from the era of limitless editorial budgets.”—Monocle

“Carter’s wry tone and hard-won insights make this a must-read for aspiring journalists and those who lived through the good old days of print magazines. It’s a blast.”—Publishers Weekly

“Carter chronicles the industry and its people with deep love and affection, and it’s a story of discovering one’s passion, persistence, and undeniably being in the right place at the right time . . . An engaging book for lovers of glossy magazines and the people who make them.”—Library Journal

A lucky man

There’s a few juicy stories and this makes Graydon Carter’s memoir worth reading. It’s apparent he’s been blessed with tremendous luck and the privilege of being a white male, accomplishing quite a lot as a college drop out and dyslexic. He breezes over his marriage to his ex-wife Claudia, the mother of four of his five children. What struck me in reading this book was that Graydon Carter is exceptionally good with people.

Graydon’s Swan Song Sails Smoothly

This was the ultimate quintessential look behind the scenes of a more glamorous time when print magazine was one part art and 3/4 thick ads with perfume samples and subscription inserts constantly falling out. Carter does an excellent job of weaving his narrative from odd jobs to King of Media glamour. Irreverent, nostalgic, self-aware, with a dollop of Trump. It’s best hearing it in his voice on audible. Just Brilliant.

hope you do a killer book Mr Carter

My last words to him as he left VF 2018. Not sure he did that but on the other hand, when asked for my number, I did not. I do wish this was in Hebrew, as the best advice at the back. His utter humanity even humility unexpected but as with Oscar, he likes creature comforts. Very much in his element producing content, glad he produced this too. Thanks Mr Carter.

An Editor's Fulfilling Life

Graydon Carter's story of his life as an editor was like a wonderful visit with a friend.

Interesting

Graydon had me at his memory of how his father sharpened pencils - with a knife. My father sharpened pencils exactly the same way.

Poorly written and read

Politically biased. Offensive remarks. Will return my money. Not worth my time Poorly written and read