In 2022, I had the privilege of sitting down with Graydon Carter, the legendary editor, co-founder of Air Mail, and owner of the iconic Waverly Inn in the West Village, for a conversation on the relevance of critics, what it’s like to be the target of Trump’s ire, the state of New York City, and more.
Turns out, we have a ton in common: He loves owning restaurants and storytelling, and so do I. Prior to launching Air Mail, which was acquired in 2025 by Puck, Graydon wrote for Time and Life, co-founded Spy magazine, served as editor of The New York Observer, and was the Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair from 1992 to 2018.
I hope you enjoy revisiting our chat in the audio above, which has been edited down to 15 minutes. The transcribed conversation, below, has also been edited.
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