Richard Locke
Richard Locke (1941–2023) was an American editor, critic and essayist who was a senior editor at Simon & Schuster, deputy editor of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American morning daily newspaper published in New York City. Founded in 1851, it is published by The New York Times Company.Open the full entry Book Review and, in 1983, the first editor in chief of the revived Vanity FairVanity FairVanity Fair is a magazine and digital media brand owned by Condé Nast, covering politics, business, arts and culture, entertainment and fashion. The title traces back to Dress & Vanity Fair in 1913, ceased publication in 1936 and was relaunched in 1983; it has since built a historical digital archive and hosts events such as its Oscar party.Open the full entry. He then taught at Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University, formally Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private research university in New York City and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1754 by royal charter from King George II as King's College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York State and the fifth oldest in the United States. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 and adopted the university name and moved to Manhattan's Morningside Heights in 1896. It has 17 schools and four affiliated colleges, with 35,978 students enrolled in fall 2025. Legal scholar Jennifer L. Mnookin became president on July 1, 2026.Open the full entry School of the Arts for 38 years, chairing its Writing Program, and wrote Critical Children.
Contents5 sections
Key facts
Early Career: Publishing and Book Reviews
Columbia University School of the Arts recalls that Locke served as senior editor at Simon & Schuster and deputy editor of The New York Times Book Review, was a director and president of the National Book Critics Circle, and judged the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.[1]
1983First Editor of the Revived Vanity Fair
When Condé NastCondé NastCondé Nast is a global media company based in New York whose brands include Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ and Wired. It grew out of the publishing business Condé Montrose Nast built after buying Vogue in 1909, was acquired by Samuel I. Newhouse in 1959 and belongs to Advance, the Newhouse family’s private company. After Roger Lynch stepped down as chief executive in September 2026, lead independent director Mike Perlis became interim CEO.Open the full entry revived Vanity Fair in 1983, Locke became its editor in chief; Tina BrownTina BrownTina Brown is an English American magazine editor and writer, born in Maidenhead, England, in 1953. She edited Vanity Fair from 1984 to 1992, leading the revived magazine’s success, then edited The New Yorker until 1998 and later The Daily Beast.Open the full entry took over as editor in 1984.[1][2]
1984–2023Columbia University
He taught at Columbia for 38 years, chairing the Writing Program, and wrote more than 180 essays and reviews and the book Critical Children: The Use of Children in Ten Great Novels. He died on August 25, 2023, at the age of 81.[1]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Vanity Fair: Official website: https://www.vanityfair.com/ (opens in a new window).[3]
Sources
- In Memoriam, Richard Locke (1941-2023) | School of the Arts (opens in a new window)
- Condé Nast | Magazine Publisher, S.I. Newhouse, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The New Yorker, Anna Wintour, & Facts | Britannica (opens in a new window)
- Vanity Fair - Entertainment, Politics, and Fashion News | Vanity Fair (opens in a new window)