The Hatchards Podcast Graydon Carter on When the Going Was Good: Velvet Ropes, Veritas, and Vanity Fair
May 20, 2025
44:38
On this episode, we're joined by legendary magazine editor Graydon Carter to discuss his memoir, When the Going Was Good, an intoxicating portrait of his 25-year reign as editor of Vanity Fair, and an extraordinary life shaped by curiosity, conflict and impeccable taste.
We begin at Spy, the satirical magazine he co-founded, which targeted New York’s cultural establishment with reckless abandon, coining the infamous "small hands" insult for Donald Trump.
Later, he reflects on his turbulent start at Vanity Fair, where he was initially hated by staff, the close working relationship he developed with photographer Annie Leibovitz, and the founding of the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, now a more coveted invitation in Hollywood than the ceremony itself.
Throughout our conversation, Carter shares countless juicy anecdotes — from receiving a Scientology plaque from Tom Cruise to helping Fran Lebowitz find the perfect suit — and explores how magazine journalism has lost its lustre in the digital age.
We begin at Spy, the satirical magazine he co-founded, which targeted New York’s cultural establishment with reckless abandon, coining the infamous "small hands" insult for Donald Trump.
Later, he reflects on his turbulent start at Vanity Fair, where he was initially hated by staff, the close working relationship he developed with photographer Annie Leibovitz, and the founding of the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, now a more coveted invitation in Hollywood than the ceremony itself.
Throughout our conversation, Carter shares countless juicy anecdotes — from receiving a Scientology plaque from Tom Cruise to helping Fran Lebowitz find the perfect suit — and explores how magazine journalism has lost its lustre in the digital age.