Jack Marx
Encyclopedia
Jackson Gregory Marx known as Jack Marx, is an Australian journalist and author. He was born in Maitland, New South Wales
and is the second youngest of four children.
in his late teens to pursue a career in music with the rock band I Spartacus (previously known as 'A Dog for Jonathon'), one of the better 'underground' bands of the day in Newcastle. By his own account, the band was less than successful, Marx becoming "the type of shocking wanker that today I can't stomach ... a guy who thought his destiny was to thrill the world on the rock and roll stage". When I Spartacus disbanded in 1990 — the dissolution due, in part, to Marx's own "spiral into drug and alcohol dependence" — Marx began writing reviews and articles for the free Sydney music press and was soon employed by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
as a freelance music correspondent. He became notable for reviewing albums while openly admitting he had not listened to them, choosing instead to search the packaging and liner notes for "the tell-tale signs that you're in for an hour of crap".
In 1994, Marx worked as a reporter for the Melbourne tabloid newspaper The Truth
, before being employed by Australian Consolidated Press
as a senior writer for men's titles such as The Picture and Ralph
. In 1999, he became editor of Australian Style, causing controversy when he assigned accused anti-Semite author Helen Darville
to interview British Holocaust denier David Irving
.
In 2004, Marx won Best Feature Article at the Australian Business and Specialist Publication Awards for his investigation into the history of Henry Leighton Jones, the legendary Australian doctor purported to have engaged in the transplantation of monkey glands into humans.
Marx was author of the Fairfax news blog
The Daily Truth until he was dismissed on 20 August 2007 following his publication of a satirical piece on the Australian Labor Party leader and former prime minister Kevin Rudd
's visit to a New York strip club.
Marx has written three non-fiction books to date: The Damage Done - Twelve Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison (1997), which he co-authored with Warren Fellows; the controversial Sorry- the Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright (1999); and Australian Tragic (2009).
. He found Wright allegedly living as a drug-addicted recluse in a small coastal town in southern New South Wales and Wright's life story, along with Marx's near-disastrous attempts to extract it from him, was documented in Sorry: The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright (1999). The book was critically applauded by many reviewers - Australian music historian Clinton Walker
calling it "gonzo journalism
at its best", while The Bulletin
later referred to Sorry as "one of the most harrowing rock books ever written".
Nevertheless, Sorry earned the disdain of its subject, Wright's many fans and some critics, including Internet reviewer Ken Grady (Luna Cafe, 1999), who described Marx as "a self serving hypocrite" and concluded his review by observing: "The only thing that Marx has achieved is to depict himself as a very unlikeable, morally bankrupt leech."
, who sought to employ Marx as a "guerilla publicist". Their six-month relationship ended badly and, in June 2006, Marx published an online account of the experience entitled "I Was Russell Crowe's Stooge". Though the ethically ambiguous piece instantly outraged many fans and media commentators, it made Australian media history by becoming the first story to leap from the digital arena to print, serialised over two days in both Fairfax
broadsheets, The Sydney Morning Herald
and The Age
, and subsequently won Marx Australia's premier prize for journalism, the Walkley Award, for newspaper feature writing.
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
and is the second youngest of four children.
Career
Marx moved to SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in his late teens to pursue a career in music with the rock band I Spartacus (previously known as 'A Dog for Jonathon'), one of the better 'underground' bands of the day in Newcastle. By his own account, the band was less than successful, Marx becoming "the type of shocking wanker that today I can't stomach ... a guy who thought his destiny was to thrill the world on the rock and roll stage". When I Spartacus disbanded in 1990 — the dissolution due, in part, to Marx's own "spiral into drug and alcohol dependence" — Marx began writing reviews and articles for the free Sydney music press and was soon employed by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
as a freelance music correspondent. He became notable for reviewing albums while openly admitting he had not listened to them, choosing instead to search the packaging and liner notes for "the tell-tale signs that you're in for an hour of crap".
In 1994, Marx worked as a reporter for the Melbourne tabloid newspaper The Truth
The Truth (newspaper)
The Truth was a Melbourne tabloid newspaper established in 1902 as a subsidiary of the Sydney Truth, established in 1890.In its early years its politics was very much left-leaning, and it painted itself as the voice of the working class. Before 1945 it had a style of journalism that was high...
, before being employed by Australian Consolidated Press
Australian Consolidated Press
ACP Magazines , a subsidiary of the Nine Entertainment Co., is an Australian media company. It publishes the Australian Women's Weekly and the Australian edition of Woman's Day....
as a senior writer for men's titles such as The Picture and Ralph
Ralph
Ralph is a former monthly Australian men's magazine that was published by ACP Magazines, a division of PBL Media between August 1997 and July 2010...
. In 1999, he became editor of Australian Style, causing controversy when he assigned accused anti-Semite author Helen Darville
Helen Darville
Helen Dale , also known as Helen Darville and Helen Demidenko, is an Australian writer and lawyer.While studying English literature at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, she wrote The Hand that Signed the Paper, a novel about a Ukrainian family who become both bystanders and perpetrators...
to interview British Holocaust denier David Irving
David Irving
David John Cawdell Irving is an English writer,best known for his denial of the Holocaust, who specialises in the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany...
.
In 2004, Marx won Best Feature Article at the Australian Business and Specialist Publication Awards for his investigation into the history of Henry Leighton Jones, the legendary Australian doctor purported to have engaged in the transplantation of monkey glands into humans.
Marx was author of the Fairfax news blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
The Daily Truth until he was dismissed on 20 August 2007 following his publication of a satirical piece on the Australian Labor Party leader and former prime minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
's visit to a New York strip club.
Marx has written three non-fiction books to date: The Damage Done - Twelve Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison (1997), which he co-authored with Warren Fellows; the controversial Sorry- the Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright (1999); and Australian Tragic (2009).
The Stevie Wright biography
It was during his time as a music journalist that Marx went in search of his childhood rock and roll idol, Stevie Wright, of legendary Australian '60s band, The EasybeatsThe Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
. He found Wright allegedly living as a drug-addicted recluse in a small coastal town in southern New South Wales and Wright's life story, along with Marx's near-disastrous attempts to extract it from him, was documented in Sorry: The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright (1999). The book was critically applauded by many reviewers - Australian music historian Clinton Walker
Clinton Walker
Clinton Walker is an Australian writer, best known for his works on popular music but with a broader interest in social and cultural history and theory....
calling it "gonzo journalism
Gonzo journalism
Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-person narrative. The word "gonzo" is believed to be first used in 1970 to describe an article by Hunter S. Thompson, who later popularized the style...
at its best", while The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
later referred to Sorry as "one of the most harrowing rock books ever written".
Nevertheless, Sorry earned the disdain of its subject, Wright's many fans and some critics, including Internet reviewer Ken Grady (Luna Cafe, 1999), who described Marx as "a self serving hypocrite" and concluded his review by observing: "The only thing that Marx has achieved is to depict himself as a very unlikeable, morally bankrupt leech."
Russell Crowe's "stooge"
In 2005, Marx was approached by Oscar-winning actor Russell CroweRussell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, who sought to employ Marx as a "guerilla publicist". Their six-month relationship ended badly and, in June 2006, Marx published an online account of the experience entitled "I Was Russell Crowe's Stooge". Though the ethically ambiguous piece instantly outraged many fans and media commentators, it made Australian media history by becoming the first story to leap from the digital arena to print, serialised over two days in both Fairfax
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
broadsheets, The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
and The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, and subsequently won Marx Australia's premier prize for journalism, the Walkley Award, for newspaper feature writing.