Truman, MacBain, editor Michael Boodro and co. celebrate Culture & Travel's launch

Last night's Culture & Travel party, held at Louise T. Blouin MacBain's glass-encased duplex on 165 Charles Street, not only represented the launch of a magazine. It marked James Truman's return to the magazine world after his high-profile split from Condé Nast last year.

Truman, who served as Condé Nast's editorial director for 11 years, told FishbowlNY about the first time he was able to look at a newsstand after fleeing to Spain: "I walked up and saw how all [magazines] had become one, how all of them used the same people on the cover."

Is Truman nervous about launching an independent magazine in what has generally been a tumultuous climate for the industry?

"We never can predict the outcome of anything," Truman said.

Is that some kind of Eastern thing?

"It is what it is."

Given Truman's soundbites and the would-be Nihilists gathered at the party, now would've seemed an appropriate time to tell Truman how the rug "really tied the room together," but the MacBain residence didn't appear to have one.

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