Lives of Consequence
Lucy Kaylin '81
Editor-in-Chief, O, The Oprah Magazine
Lucy E. Kaylin ’81, editor-in-chief of O, The Oprah Magazine, has worked in the magazine industry for more than 25 years, writing and editing for some of the most widely-distributed publications in the country.
After entering the industry as a fact-checker at Vogue, Kaylin spent nearly two decades working at the men’s magazine GQ, where she contributed more than 100 articles and dozens of cover profiles, including the controversial, widely quoted interview with actor Tom Cruise in 2006.
She rose to features editor at GQ before becoming executive editor at Marie Claire, where she oversaw many attention-getting stories, including "My Sister's Secret Life" by Robert Radin, which won a Folio award. She also wrote cover stories for the magazine and interviewed President Barack Obama; was a finalist for the MPA Mentor of the Year award; and was instrumental in the execution of Marie Claire's reality show on the Style network, "Running in Heels," in which she appeared.
After she joined O in 2009 as deputy editor, the magazine won the publishing industry’s highest honor, the American Society of Magazine Editors award for General Excellence, in 2012.
Upon Kaylin’s appointment to editor-in-chief in April 2013, Oprah Winfrey remarked, "I am looking forward to O's 'next chapter' with Lucy Kaylin at the helm. She understands the mission of the magazine and certainly gets why it matters to our readers. After working with her for four years, I am thrilled she will be editor-in-chief. Lucy is smart, innovative, and a dream to collaborate with."
Under Kaylin’s leadership, O boasts one of the largest monthly magazine circulations and one of the industry's highest e-edition circulations. In Kaylin’s first two years as editor-in-chief, the magazine won back-to-back National Magazine Awards, as well as Cover of the Year (Women’s Service).
In addition to her experience in the magazine industry, Kaylin is the author of two books, "For the Love of God," about the decline of Catholic nuns in America, and "The Perfect Stranger," about the complicated relationship between mothers and nannies. She has also contributed an essay to the anthology "The Secret Currency of Love," about the role money plays in relationships.
During her time at HWS, Kaylin was a member of Hai Timiai, the William Smith senior honor society and received the White Essay Prize. She graduated cum laude and with highest honors in English and went on to receive a master's degree in English literature from Columbia University. She currently sits on the board of the American Society of Magazine Editors.
During the 2016 Founder’s Day celebrations, Kaylin will receive the Alumna Achievement Award, which is bestowed to a William Smith alumna who has brought honor and distinction to her alma mater through her outstanding accomplishments.