Vanity Fair Editor’s Accomplishments

“From Irreverent Chronicler to Hollywood’s Good Friend” (June 16), your wordy article on Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter revealed that the Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton’s restaurant had some shrubbery out front that resembled an Oscar. When the Academy asked them to stop using it, they did. That was in 1998. Thanks for this news flash. You quoted 10 individuals directly. Two had written books critical of Vanity Fair and Conde Nast. Guess what they said. One commented on the power of the Vanity Fair cover. Another said a venture with Carter might happen. One mentioned the seductive lure of Hollywood. Four praised Carter. Only one, filmmaker Marshall Herskovitz, was flat-out critical of him.

Carter personally enjoys the creative side of the movies and keeps coming up with involvement on his own. Producer Art Linson states it best: “He’s got a great nose for glamour and for what works here. I think he said, ‘OK, that’d be fun.’ ” Carter’s accomplishments as editor of Vanity Fair are amazing. And he keeps topping himself month after month. Destroying excellence is not a worthy goal.

Ron Salmons

Pacific Palisades