By Drew Grant 5/30/12 9:36am

Menace to Society

A Faustian bargain!

Menace to Society: Press for Success

Becoming a socialite is a grueling slog even in the best of circumstances. And I’m not in the best of circumstances. I don’t really know anyone or have any money, and while I’ve gotten plenty of ink over the years, it’s not the kind on the society pages (it’s on my shoulders, calves, upper arms, forearms…).

But nobody does it alone. Cinderella had a Fairy Godmother and a bunch of little birds. I had an editor, a stylist and a photographer lending occasional advice, but it wasn’t enough. I needed a publicist. And I knew of only one man for the job: R. Couri Hay. Read More

By Drew Grant 3/01/12 3:36pm

Menace to Society

Caroline Astor: The OG socialite of New York

Menace to Society: A History Lesson

For months now, my steady assault on the social world had provided me a healthy diet of Krug and canapés.

Not this time.

“We’re giving you a book report,” said my editor. That sounded suspiciously like work.

“You won’t make it any further in society until you know what it is, where it comes from,” he said. “You’ll just hit a wall. Having no idea what you’re doing is charming, but only to a point.”

So instead of dressing up and going to parties, my mission was to find out everything I could about the history of New York’s upper crust. Read More