They hardly knew what hit them. That describes the ouster of legendary staffers who have lived out their usefulness to Si Newhouse, chairman of his family's publishing conglomerate. In 1987 William Shawn was suddenly removed as editor of the New Yorker after 35 years. Last year fashion doyenne Grace Mirabella was dethroned from the editorship at Vogue after 17 years; reportedly, she first learned the news of her dismissal from a friend who heard it on TV.
Last week another eminent employee was cleaning out his desk. Robert Bernstein, who in 23 years as head of Random House helped build it...
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