Aside from a few trips to crowded parties in Connecticut, I really didn’t know anything about Arthur Carter. I became even closer and friendly with his talented editor, Peter Kaplan. Working with me, which began in 1987 and continued until his death 15 years later, he became one of the most powerful and influential people The voice of American journalism. Kaplan is the New York Observer’s longest-serving editor. Technically, Carter could be called his “boss,” but he consulted Kaplan on every issue, big or small, and never took action without him.
Carter admired Kaplan’s extraordinary kindness and talent. “I’ve never seen this combination before and I haven’t seen it since,” Carter said. “He was a brilliant gentleman with rare qualities of kindness.” Before joining their liaison, I had been constrained by working relationships with important but self-involved editors who were more obsessed with personal and political achievement than with personal pride.
Carter cared more about writers than their editorial opinions. He is committed to quality. He never rejected an idea of mine or refused to share his enthusiasm for an article or review that was of particular interest to him. Expressions of approval, no matter how small, are meaningful to writers but are often overlooked. Carter is careful to make his approval as valuable as his occasional criticism. As the only reporter to have appeared on the New York Observer since its inception, I am proud to say that I cannot recall any negative reaction to any review or feature I wrote. That would be unheard of for any journalist with a reputation even remotely controversial.
On a personal level, he hosted lavish Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners that included just about everyone you’d long to see on a professional level. My days working with Arthur Carter also extended to such perks as a personal recommendation from his ex-wife Dixie Carter, imploring him to give the reporter a raise, to which he retorted, “I appreciate your admiration, but I’ve thought of it first. Rex Reed’s raise took effect yesterday.” It’s rare that you meet a boss like that again, and if you do, you’d be foolish to turn a blind eye.
