When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines

Dominick (Nick) Dunne is a recurring figure throughout Carter’s memoir. Carter first mentions Nick In Chapter 9, “My Advanced Vanity Fair Education,” amidst his descriptions of his early days with the magazine. When Carter first started working with Nick, he found him to “be prickly—especially to the younger staff”—but also understood that the magazine “needed him, and, to a great extent, he needed Vanity Fair” (166). Nick is still best known for his coverage of the Menedez brothers’ 1993 trial and the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial. Carter remarks upon Nick’s unprecedented reportage on these high-profile cases—he “wasn’t objective, like most crime and courtroom reporters” and “was there to defend the rights of victims” (167). Nick had a personal investment in such trials because his daughter, the actress Dominique Dunne, was murdered just as her career was taking off. A still grieving Nick was irate with how the media negatively portrayed victims like his daughter, and he sought to correct such representations in his work.

Carter delves further into Nick’s character and past in Chapter 15. He details Nick’s Irish-Catholic background and upbringing in Hartford, Connecticut, and examines how his past life contributed to his identity in the present. Nick was also a well-known author, publishing over 10 titles.

The writer and editor Aimée Bell is another recurring figure throughout Carter’s mentor. Carter worked with Aimée throughout his New York publishing career. She and Carter worked together at Time, Life, Spy, The Observer, and Vanity Fair. Because of their positive relationship, she and Carter moved from one publication to another together. Carter frequently lauds Aimée’s skill, talent, and grace. He attributes much of his success to her support throughout his career. She was instrumental in helping Carter transform Vanity Fair’s workplace morale, launching the Vanity Fair Oscars party, and in assisting Carter’s seamless retirement from the magazine.

Condé Nast publisher Si Newhouse is another key figure in the memoir. Carter came in contact with him during his foray into the publishing and magazine world. He and Si established a ready connection, and Si often went to Carter with new projects. Most notably, Si personally selected Carter to take over as Vanity Fair’s editor-in-chief. He initially offered Carter an editor’s position at his other Condé Nast magazine, The New Yorker; when Si transitioned another colleague into this role, he gave Carter the Vanity Fair position instead. Carter understood that Si wanted to transform the magazine and reestablish its reputation in the industry. Although Si never outwardly doubted Carter, Carter lived in near constant fear of disappointing him. Si was tolerant, but he would also oust anyone he felt wasn’t measuring up to his standards. Whenever Carter met one-on-one with Si, he therefore tried to take his advice, while also standing behind his own beliefs. Carter identifies him as one of the foremost mentors in his editorial career.

Anna Scott is Carter’s second wife. She is a peripheral figure in Carter’s memoir. He and Anna met once in the past, but rekindled their connection when Anna joined the Vanity Fair team’s fashion department. (Their reunion happened not long after Carter and his first wife Cynthia split up.) In Chapter 14, Carter remarks that he “loved having [Anna] there, and over time, [their] relationship flourished” (275). The two established a close bond and eventually dated, got engaged, and were married. Carter also attributes much of his success to Anna’s “work and temperament,” remarking on her ability to calm him down whenever he is stressed or worried (275). He and Anna remain married to this day.

Carter repeatedly references his conflicts with and writings about Donald Trump throughout the memoir. In the late 1990s and early aughts, Trump was a key figure in New York because of his involvement with Trump Management (his father’s former real estate company) and his hotels, including Trump Tower. When Carter was writing and editing Spy, he often featured stories on Trump. Most notably, he made fun of Trump for having small hands. Trump lashed out against Carter in the years following. He would behave lewdly at Carter’s events or publicly attack him online—calling him names and discrediting his work. Throughout the memoir, Carter holds that this early conflict incited Trump’s desperation for revenge against those who had insulted him; in turn, he ran for president to prove his power and status. Carter’s focus on Trump throughout the memoir bolsters Carter’s explorations of the Media’s Impact on the Political and Cultural Narrative; and suggests that Carter made major contributions to American society’s regard for Trump and Trump’s regard for himself.