First published 2025
Graydon Carter takes the helm at Vanity Fair in 1992, facing skeptical staff still loyal to his predecessor. He arrives with baggage from Spy magazine, where he made his name mocking the same celebrities and power players that Vanity Fair celebrates. Carter must win over editors, writers, and the very subjects his previous publication ridiculed. He finds an ally in Condé Nast chairman Si Newhouse, who gives him creative and financial control. Carter builds the magazine's visual identity around Annie Leibovitz's photography and creates signature franchises like the New Establishment list and Hollywood issue. He launches the famous Oscar party, cementing Vanity Fair's presence in Los Angeles. Through intimate dinners and strategic relationships across America and Europe, Carter assembles top-tier talent and positions his magazine at the intersection of culture, politics, and business, even as digital media threatens print's dominance.
Genres: 20th-century, business, american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, underdog
Setting: America, Europe, Los Angeles
Period: 1992
432 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press