Brown is a red-blooded storyteller; his recollections of memorable interactions with Christopher Hitchens and a pre-politics Donald Trump are among Dilettante's sublime set pieces. Brown is also a loyalist, and readers expecting trash talk about the worker bees of 350 Madison Avenue will instead find an exposé of the overwhelmingly good behavior of Vanity Fair's staff and contributors. Dilettante is a salute to an industry and its practitioners, those who were making a meaningful cultural contribution even while they were trying their damnedest to drain Condé Nast's fathomless expense account.
Those who read Vanity Fair during those halcyon days when it helped set the cultural agenda will appreciate Brown’s style: witty, smart, knowing, and topped with a dollop of wonder at getting as far as he did. There’s name dropping but not much dishing, as Brown seems to have liked most everyone he encountered (except Fran Lebowitz). The insider angle will draw readers, but it’s the vivid recollections of publishing in the grips of change that will linger.
A bawdy account ... A glittering paean to the bygone golden age of glossy magazines, but also—and perhaps more intriguingly—a riveting behind-the-scenes look at how print media pivoted to meet the needs of a burgeoning era in which 'the internet wasn’t a new newsstand, it was the newsstand.' This tour through New York publishing’s hallowed halls is a nonstop thrill.
Entertaining ... Though the subtitle suggests a tabloid-esque exposé, the author offers grounded and insightful observations ... The author offers sharp and balanced perspectives of Anna Wintour and Tina Brown, recognizing each as formidable, hyperambitious, shrewd, and accomplished businesswomen. Throughout, Carter’s larger-than-life presence serves as the narrative lynchpin, and Brown’s affectionate portrait is a tribute to Carter’s accomplishments and generosity as a quintessential mentor in a high-pressure organization ... An immensely engaging memoir and inside view of the magazine world.
