[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO GRAYDON CARTER ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM VANITY FAIR

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 13, 2017

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a special tribute and 
recognize the career of hall of fame magazine editor Graydon Carter. 
Graydon Carter is one of the great journalists of our time and retires 
today after 25 years as editor of Vanity Fair. He co-founded Spy 
Magazine which he also edited, as well as The New York Observer. And at 
Vanity Fair, he gave writers like Michael Lewis and Dominick Dunne a 
venue, and Christopher Hitchens, one of the great journalists of our 
time. Graydon said about Christopher Hitchens upon his passing that he 
was ``a wit, a charmer and a troublemaker and to those who knew him 
well, he was a gift from--dare I say it?--God.'' I'm sure Hitch would 
have said the same about Graydon. From the beginning of Spy Magazine 
and through the days of The New York Observer and Vanity Fair, he 
pointed out the shortcomings of Donald Trump. And he gave him the 
appellation ``short-fingered vulgarian.'' For that and much more, 
Graydon Carter will be remembered--a great journalist, a great human 
being, a great raconteur, and a friend. Graydon Carter will also be 
remembered for publishing such great writers as David Halberstam, 
Walter Isaacson, David Kamp, Nicholas Lemann, Jeffrey E. Stern and 
William Langewiesche, and for printing the brilliant photographic 
images of such artists as Annie Leibovitz, Mark Selinger and Jonas 
Freedwall Karlson. With a showman's charisma, he brought glamor and 
politics together, throwing some of the best-remembered parties in New 
York, Los Angeles and Washington, including hosting the annual White 
House Correspondents Association Vanity Fair after-party, the most 
sought-after invitation in D.C. A gourmet, his signature restaurants 
The Waverly Inn in the West Village and Monkey Bar on the Upper East 
Side are destinations in good taste. Graydon Carter was also the 
producer of documentaries including ``Gonzo: The Life and Work of 
Hunter S. Thompson'' and ``The Kid Stays in the Picture,'' about 
legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans and was a regular at both the 
Sundance and Cannes film festivals. Print journalism is tough and 
Graydon Carter will also be remembered for his successful navigation 
through the current age of media disruption. I wish him all the best in 
retirement.

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