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Travel
+ Leisure magazine held its World’s Best Awards party |
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Ellen
Asmodeo, Peter Boyle, Lorraine Boyle, and Nancy Novogrod |
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Ed
and Janet Kelly |
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The
other night, at The Pier, which is at the West Side
Highway and Charles Street, Hudson River Park, Pier 46, Travel
+ Leisure magazine held its World’s Best Awards party in
a T+L styled “tent camp” set up in the Park.
This is an annual shindig for the magazine and this year was made
more special as the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Nancy
Novogrod’s editorship at this highly successful venture.
Even if you’re a reluctant traveler like me, Travel + Leisure
makes you wanna go anyway. That’s Ms. Novogrod’s achievement.
A great deal of media power in New York is in the hands of women,
and they are an interesting and influential segment of the social
fabric. Glenda Bailey, Anna Wintour, Ellen Levine, Pamela
Fiori, Grace Mirabella, Paige Rense, Helen Gurley Brown, Margaret
Russell, Amy Gross, Dominique Browning, Bonnie Fuller, Marion McAvoy,
Tina Brown come to mind.
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Ellen
Asmodeo, Nancy Novogrod, and Ed Kelly |
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What are high-powered
magazine editors really like? I’m acquainted with many of these
women, although I can’t say I know any of them well, as a friend
might. They all exhibit some reflection of that “power”
in one way or another. And appear to be smart, even very smart. Remember
these are women whose work and vision seriously affects the market
place across the world. The money takes them very seriously.
In my experience, with every one of them you get a strong sense of
self-assuredness of one kind or another. Some are warm and effusive,
others are cool (to frigid) and intimidating, and all wear
their authority with ease. What they are really like, from
this vantage point, is impossible to tell. Although, probably like
the rest of us, they harbor many of the same issues, fears, hopes
and uncertainties. They just happen to be proficient as professionals. |
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Julie
McGowan, Nancy Novogrod, Reynaldo Ales, and Dana Cowin |
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Kyle
MacLachlan, Desiree Gruber, and Ed Kelly |
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I
don’t know Nancy Novogrod much better than any of the aforementioned,
save the few times we’ve been lunch or dinner partners. She’s
very pretty; that’s the first thing that strikes you about her.
Bright eyes, dark hair, curious about others, plus candid and quick
to smile or laugh. She has such an unassuming manner under these circumstances
that I wonder what she’s like in the office, running a highly
successful magazine for as long as she has. Of course, I don’t
know.
She’s married to a man named John who has a
reputation for being a very smart lawyer. They have, I am told, a
lovely country house up in Connecticut that they’ve just finished
refurbishing. A friend of mine went to lunch there a couple of Saturdays
ago and reported that it was wonderful. A couple of their kids, college
age plus, were present, and a few friends. Excellent food, nice, pleasant,
fun and great conversation. Kind of cozy. Which didn’t surprise
me, hearing about it; that’s the impression I have of Nancy.
Meanwhile at the party at The Pier: Upon arrival at the evening, keys
were given out to each guest One lucky key opened the door of a vintage
Land Rover, which entitled the winner (lucky traveler) to a 2 week
trip to Nairobi from Micato Safaris, transported there by Swiss International
Air Lines. The food was by Olivier Cheng. The traditional drink, Dawa
(Swahili for medicine) was poured. There were sexy dancers from Africa,
and drummers, and all these guests with their (maybe) winning keys.
A regular safari party, Manhattan style. |
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Elizabeth
Pettinelli, Tom Beller, and Nancy Novogrod |
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Lauren
Weisberger and Richard Story |
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L.
to r.: Susan Magrino; Nancy Novogrod, Richard Story,
and Lauren Weisberger; Larisa Bondarenko. |
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L.
to r.: Vintage Land Rover; Nancy and her son Jamie Novogrod. |
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| Photographs
by Patrick McMullan |
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