Dana Brown, a 21-year-old college dropout, was stocking bottles behind the bar in a Midtown New York restaurant when he met Graydon Carter. This chance encounter in 1994 with the powerful editor of Vanity Fair changed the course of his life. One day, on a whim, Mr. Carter hired him as his assistant. Now, 28 years later, Mr. Brown has come out with “Dilettante,” an engaging memoir of his life and the inner workings of the magazine. His book, a paean to Mr. Carter, is ironic and smart, a social history and a poignant coming-of-age story.
