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The New Republic recently interviewed David Remnick, reigning editor of The New Yorker since 1998. After asking about the ideology of Putin and trends in pay for journalists, Chotine gets into office culture in the Condé Nast building, which owns many titles, but most importantly for this chat, The New Yorker and Vogue. Below, find what Remnick has gleaned from fashion's supreme leader Anna Wintour.
Isaac Chotine of The New Republic: I have this image that in the Condé Nast building there are all these sharply dressed hip people, and then there's The New Yorker staff.
David Remnick: You mean you think we look like the Waltons upstairs?
IC: I reserve comment on that, but is there a culture clash?
DR: No one has ever cut me off on line in the Condé Nast cafeteria—we seem to be treated like full citizens.
IC: Anna Wintour treats you OK?
DR: More than OK. I have to say, we do a very different thing, but I've learned a lot by talking with her about how she does what she does. I once had a conversation with one of her deputy editors—this was early on, and I didn't know much about her at all, and I think it even preceded the whole wave that came with The Devil Wears Prada. And I asked this person, why is she considered a terrific editor? And she answered: because she knows exactly what she wants. This was a bit of a revelation to me.
IC: Revelation how?
DR: This is the period I was talking to you about earlier—just getting your footing running something. It's not always a natural thing to know exactly what you want. And I think sometimes when you're dealing with writers or other editors, God knows if you're running something larger like a country, Hamlet-like indecision may be interesting, but it's highly ineffective.
· The Confessions of David Remnick [The New Republic]
· Vogue Discovers Normcore, Isn't Impressed [Racked]
· NYFW Street Style, Day Three: Anna Smiles! Coats Galore! [Racked]