I’m not interested in fashion, know little about the industry or related publications, but who doesn’t like to take a peek inside a different world? I haven’t heard of Grayson Carter but it sounded like he’s lead an interesting and unusual life, so I requested an audio copy of When The Going Was Good. It’s very well narrated throughout, well paced and with a pleasant tone.

Well, what a guy. From the most unlikely beginnings, with no connections to journalism or fashion, he sort fell into various editorial posts and was clearly at home in those roles. I enjoyed the story of his early life and travels in Europe as his father was with the Canadian Air Force. His tales are entertaining and often self effacing. But the story really ratchets up when he gets to New York and lands his first work in the publishing industry. He clearly found a niche and the rest is history. His experiences and memories are worth recording. He’s moved with the rich and famous, with royalty and film stars and I feel his account of his meetings are humorous and filled with a rare honesty and insight. He feels grounded and I’d love to have him round to dinner to share a good meal and a few wines! He writes with ease and sounds like good company. His is a story worth telling and he made me laugh out loud more than once. This is a fascinating slice of modern social history; a works that won’t be seen again and whilst some of the excesses may seem obscene, they’re still entertaining and reflect the reality. Really enjoyed this.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Really detailed, thorough and informative memoir. In this age of a media landscape dominated by social media and polarising 24/7 news outlets, it’s hard to imagine the time when print media and magazines dominated - well Graydons memoir takes us back to a moment in history when Vanity Fair magazine, where he was Editor in Chief for decades, dominated the media landscape. A time when Vanity Fair published THE best coverage of the OJ Simpson murder trial, broke the cover of Deep Throat and revealed Caitlyn Jenner to the world’s public.
And along the way Graydon also talks about his poor, hard scrabble upbringing in Canada - and his long career journey where he eventually rubbed shoulders with royalty like Princess Di and Hollywood stars galore.

Super interesting deep dive into New York media - Carter’s career coincides with many important historical moments