Graydon Carter

Graydon Carter is a writer from Canada.

He helped lead a famous magazine. He did this for many years. He also helped start a funny magazine.

He makes movies and books, too. He even helped run a restaurant. He has won many big awards. He is very good at telling stories.

Graydon Carter is a famous writer from Canada.

He was born in Toronto in 1949. As a young man, he worked on a railroad. He did not like heights, so he took a job on the ground.

Carter went to college in Canada. Later, he moved to the United States. He worked for Time magazine for five years.

In 1986, he helped start a funny magazine called Spy. After that, he became the editor of Vanity Fair. He led that magazine from 1992 to 2017. He mixed big stories about stars with serious news. He won 14 National Magazine Awards for his work. He is also in the Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame.

Carter does many other things. He helps make movies and shows for HBO. He also wrote a book about his life. In 2019, he started a weekly newsletter called Air Mail. He has been married three times and has five children. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

Graydon Carter is a famous Canadian journalist.

He was born on July 14, 1949, in Toronto. As a young man, he worked at Symington Yard in Winnipeg. He worked as a railroad groundman for $2.20 an hour. He chose this job because he had a fear of heights.

Carter attended the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. He did not graduate from either school before starting his career. He eventually moved to the United States when he was 28.

His career shows many different ways to make magazines. In 1973, he helped start a magazine called The Canadian Review. It became the third-largest magazine of its type in Canada by 1977. Later, he worked as a writer for Time magazine. In 1986, he helped start Spy magazine with two friends. They raised about $2.8 to $3.0 million to start it. This funny magazine lasted for 12 years before it ended in 1998.

Carter is best known for his long time at Vanity Fair. He became the editor in July 1992. He took this job from a woman named Tina Brown. He led the magazine until he left in 2017. He mixed big stories about famous stars with serious journalism.

His work earned him 14 National Magazine Awards. He was also named to the Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame.

He has also done much work in film and television. Carter helped produce a documentary called 9/11 about the September 11 attacks. This film won an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. He also worked on a documentary called His Way in 2011.

He helped make a play called I'll Eat You Last for the Booth Theatre. In 2019, he started a weekly newsletter called Air Mail. This newsletter was made for worldly people.

Carter has a busy life outside of his writing. He has been married three times and has five children. He is married to Anna Scott, and they have a daughter named Isabella Rose.

He also owns a restaurant called The Waverly Inn. He spent time as a partner in a place called the Monkey Bar. Today, he splits his time between New York and Connecticut. He even wrote a book about his life in 2025.

Edward Graydon Carter is a highly influential Canadian journalist and editor.

He is best known for his long leadership at the magazine Vanity Fair. Throughout his career, he has shaped how people consume news and entertainment. Carter has worked across many different media formats. These include monthly magazines, weekly newsletters, books, and even documentary films. His work often blends high-profile celebrity culture with serious, investigative journalism.

Carter's journey began in Canada. He was born on July 14, 1949, in Toronto. He grew up in Trenton, Ontario. Before finding success in media, he held a manual labor job. At age 19, he worked at Symington Yard in Winnipeg. He served as a railroad groundman. He earned $2.20 an hour in this role. He chose this specific job because he had a fear of heights. This prevented him from working as a higher-paid lineman. Carter attended the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. However, he did not graduate from either institution.

His professional career developed through several distinct stages. In 1973, he co-founded The Canadian Review (TCR). This was a general interest monthly magazine. By 1977, TCR had become an award-winning publication. It was the third-largest magazine of its type in Canada. Unfortunately, the magazine went bankrupt by 1978. Carter moved to the United States that same year. He began as a writer-trainee at Time magazine. He spent five years writing about business, law, and entertainment. In 1983, he moved to work for Life magazine.

In 1986, Carter entered a new phase of magazine publishing. He co-founded Spy magazine with Kurt Andersen and Thomas L. Phillips Jr. This was a "hip humor magazine." The founders raised an initial fund of $2.8 to $3.0 million. This funding included support from Phillips Jr.'s father. Spy ran for 12 years before it stopped publication in 1998. During this same period, Carter also served as an editor for The New York Observer. These roles helped establish his reputation in the American media landscape.

Carter reached his most significant professional milestone at Vanity Fair. He was invited to take over the editorship from Tina Brown. He officially became the editor in July 1992. He held this position for 25 years until 2017.

Under his leadership, the magazine combined celebrity stories with serious journalism. His tenure was highly decorated with professional honors. He won 14 National Magazine Awards during his time there. He was also inducted into the Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame. In 2017, he received the Member of the Order of Canada. This honor was given by Governor General David Johnston for his contributions to culture.

Beyond print media, Carter has been a prolific producer in film and television. He has worked on several notable documentaries for HBO. One such film was Public Speaking, directed by Martin Scorsese in 2010. He also produced the documentary His Way in 2011. This film received a Primetime Emmy nomination. One of his most significant achievements was producing the film 9/11. This documentary focused on the September 11 terrorist attacks. It earned both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. He also produced the documentary adaptation of The Kid Stays in the Picture. This film about producer Robert Evans premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

Carter's career has continued to evolve in the digital age. In 2019, he co-launched Air Mail. This is a weekly newsletter created with Alessandra Stanley. It was designed for "worldly cosmopolitans." In 2025, Air Mail was acquired by a company called Puck.

Carter has also explored the world of hospitality. In 2009, he became a partner in the Monkey Bar in New York City. He and partner Jeff Klein sold their interest in 2020. He also co-owns The Waverly Inn with his wife, Anna Scott. Carter is a published author of several books. His 2025 memoir is titled When the Going was Good. This book examines the "last golden age of magazines."