When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter review – all the fun of the Fair

In his memoir the former Vanity Fair editor and man-about-town recalls the golden age of glossy magazines, when sales were in the millions and ‘the budget had no ceiling’I can’t pretend to be impartial. When I look at the artworks in my house I say “thank you, Graydon” from the bottom of my heart. He hired me as a writer when he first became editor of Vanity Fair in 1992 and paid me a salary beyond my wildest dreams, which I mainly spent on art. Alas, the largesse only lasted two years. I was meant to interview Hollywood stars but none of them would agree to be interviewed by me – I was blackballed by the formidable publicist Pat Kingsley. So after only writing about eight articles in two years we reluctantly agreed to part. But still – thank you, Graydon.He is an odd character – ebullient, apparently confident, he confesses in this memoir that he is always anxious. But he believes that an anxious editor is a good editor, and he really loves being an editor. Born in 1949, and growing up in Canada, where life revolved around skiing and hockey, he dreamed of living in New York, editing a big magazine, marrying and having a happy family. He achieved it all eventually, but it took a while. Although he never enrolled as a student, he got a job editing a magazine at the University of Ottawa called the Canadian Review, which attained a circulation of 50,000 but no profits. So then he landed a job as a floating writer at Time magazine in New York. As he says, Time is “now a... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2025-04-06 06:00:42 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter review – all the fun of the Fair"


The Best New Book Releases Out May 20, 2025

This week's featured new releases include a new graphic novel from Alison Bechdel, a memoir on grief, an exploration of American patriarchy, a medieval fever dream, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amanda Knox on Reclaiming Your Story on Your Terms

Memoir Nation: Weekly Inspiration for Writers is an extension of the Memoir Nation community hosted by Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner, two friends and colleagues who bring a community-minded sensibility to the writing journey. Originally launched as Write-minded in 2018, this is a weekly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-19 08:10:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Review: ‘Who Knew,’ by Barry Diller

Beyond disclosures about his sexuality and marriage, the media mogul’s memoir mostly serves up goodies for fans of Hollywood name-dropping and infighting. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2025-05-16 09:00:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How a Filipino Poet’s Kitchen Became His Daughter’s Writing Desk

In her latest book, part memoir and part biography, Returning to My Father’s Kitchen, Monica Macansantos writes fifteen richly textured essays about her father’s legacy both in her writings and in the kitchen where she finds his continued presence as she recreates his recipes that he’s developed... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-05-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


“First in the Family” Explores How the American Dream Perpetuates Addiction

In her searing and revolutionary memoir First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream, writer and mental health advocate Jessica Hoppe discusses and inspects addiction and how ingrained the culture is within BIPOC communities, notably within the Latine community. In... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-05-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: May 12, 2025

Tracy Slater examines the parallels between Trump’s anti-trans policies and the persecution of Japanese Americans during World War II. | Lit Hub History Sonya Bilocerkowycz on the impact of generational trauma in the midst of Russia’s imperialist onslaught against Ukraine. | Lit Hub Memoir David... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-12 10:30:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Messy House of Memoir

Acclaimed author Jill Bialosky examines the messy house of memoir, including how important the structure is to the story memoirists tell. The post The Messy House of Memoir appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-09 16:26:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Deals: Week of May 12, 2025

William Morrow picks up a collaboration between James Patterson and YouTuber MrBeast, Michael J. Fox sells a memoir to Flatiron, Abrams will adapt Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ as a graphic novel, and more in this week’s book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: May 8, 2025

Michele Filgate on navigating loss alongside her father: “Is this my family’s thing? The need to pin memories down, preserve them in a drawer, put a frame around them?” | Lit Hub Memoir “Rivers are the veins of our mother, the earth; they are the visual mapping of a watery network.” Leanne... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-08 10:30:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘Taking Her Voice’: Hilaria Baldwin Revisits Her Accent Controversy

In a memoir that tries to wrest control of her story, Ms. Baldwin says she was “canceled” via online sleuths who looked for inconsistencies in her Spanish accent. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2025-05-07 20:25:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This is the Juiciest, Wildest Story of the Year

This memoir tells an incendiary story that shocked a reader who already thought the worst of the company and people it blows the whistle on. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-07 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How the Best Restaurants Can Make You Feel

Keith McNally’s new memoir is full of revelations, but one stands out: His work is an underrated art form. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2025-05-06 15:25:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: May 6, 2025

“More than that, political art that seeks only to speak to this moment tends to flatten narrative in its attempt to be relevant.” Kevin Nguyen doesn’t think we need timely novels. | Lit Hub Craft Jiordan Castle remembers navigating a complex and tumultuous relationship with her father. | Lit Hub... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-06 10:30:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Even With My High Expectations, This Book Still Surprised Me

If you're looking for something unusual and beautiful, thought-provoking and funny, tender and smart, this unconventional memoir is for you. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-05 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Art of Imagination and Finding Voice in Memoir

Author Natasha Williams shares three tips for exploring the art of imagination and using that to find voice in memoir. The post The Art of Imagination and Finding Voice in Memoir appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-01 19:09:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Christie Brinkley details turbulent marriage with Billy Joel: 'I hesitated to put that scene in the book'

In her memoir 'Uptown Girl,' Christie Brinkley writes about the scary incident that led her to divorce Billy Joel. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2025-04-29 10:00:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Review: ‘The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood,’ by Matthew Specktor

In the unsentimental memoir “The Golden Hour,” Matthew Specktor ponders, among others, the father who succeeded in a punishing business now in its waning glory. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2025-04-27 09:01:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this