Mark Jacobson
Encyclopedia
Mark Jacobson is an American
author
and writer.
, and achieved recognition in New York City
whilst writing for the Village Voice in the 1970s, most particularly for a lurid account of life in the Chinatown
Ghost Shadows
gang.
(1992), a Godzilla
story; the autobiographical Jacobson family travel saga co-authored with daughter Rae Jacobson 12,000 Miles in the Nick of Time – a Semi-Dysfunctional Family Circumnavigates the Globe; the novel Everyone and No One; a collection of previously published pieces Teenage Hipster in the Modern World..., which includes the "Ghost Shadows" Village Voice articles; The KGB Bar Nonfiction Reader; the critically acclaimed but largely ignored compendium American Monsters (2004) co-edited with Jacobson's close friend Jack Newfield
; the newly reissued compilation American Gangster containing the New York magazine piece "The Return of Superfly", the basis for a 2007 film starring Denzel Washington
.
Jacobson wrote the screenplay basis for Love Ranch
(2010), a dramatization of the murder of prizefighter Oscar Bonavena
at the Mustang Ranch
in Nevada in May, 1976. The troubled film was delayed by an early production company bankruptcy and was eventually produced during a writer's strike in 2009 which disengaged Jacobson from full control of subsequent script revisions. The film was directed by Taylor Hackford
, starring Helen Mirren
and Joe Pesci
. Jacobson's non-fiction reflection on man's inhumanity to man The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans
(2010), based on the discovery of a lampshade made of human skin purported to be a Nazi souvenir uncovered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
.
Jacobson was awarded the 2001 Humanitas Prize
for his screenplay work on The Believer. He is currently a contributing Editor at New York Magazine
and a frequent contributor to The Village Voice
, National Geographic
, Natural History Magazine
, Men's Journal
as well as other publications.
in his role as a journalist interviewing adult film star Sasha Grey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and writer.
Early life
Jacobson graduated from the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, and achieved recognition in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
whilst writing for the Village Voice in the 1970s, most particularly for a lurid account of life in the Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
Ghost Shadows
Ghost Shadows
The Ghost Shadows are a Chinese American gang that was prominent in New York City's Chinatown from the 1980s through the early 1990s.Formed in 1971 by immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, the gang is believed to be under control of the On Leong Tong...
gang.
Work
His books include his debut novel and cult classic GojiroGojiro
Gojiro is the 1991 debut novel by former Esquire columnist Mark Jacobson. It reinterprets the Godzilla film series from the perspective of the daikaiju—not a fictional creature depicted on-screen via suitmation, but an irradiated varanid-turned B-movie star named Gojiro...
(1992), a Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
story; the autobiographical Jacobson family travel saga co-authored with daughter Rae Jacobson 12,000 Miles in the Nick of Time – a Semi-Dysfunctional Family Circumnavigates the Globe; the novel Everyone and No One; a collection of previously published pieces Teenage Hipster in the Modern World..., which includes the "Ghost Shadows" Village Voice articles; The KGB Bar Nonfiction Reader; the critically acclaimed but largely ignored compendium American Monsters (2004) co-edited with Jacobson's close friend Jack Newfield
Jack Newfield
Jack Newfield was a muckraking journalist, employed by The Village Voice, the Daily News and the New York Post. He covered the emergence of the New Left and the civil rights movement, and was a close friend of Robert F...
; the newly reissued compilation American Gangster containing the New York magazine piece "The Return of Superfly", the basis for a 2007 film starring Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
.
Jacobson wrote the screenplay basis for Love Ranch
Love Ranch
Love Ranch is a 2010 drama film directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci.-Background:The film is based on the lives of Joe and Sally Conforte, a married couple who opened the first legal brothel in the United States, the Mustang Ranch in Storey County, Nevada. Violence...
(2010), a dramatization of the murder of prizefighter Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. A rugged, wild-swinging puncher, he was nicknamed "Ringo" because of his Beatles haircut, and enjoyed professional success in both Argentina and the United States...
at the Mustang Ranch
Mustang Ranch
The Mustang Ranch, originally known as the Mustang Bridge Ranch, is a brothel in Storey County, Nevada, about fifteen miles east of Reno. It is currently located at 1011 Wild Horse Canyon Dr Sparks, NV 89434....
in Nevada in May, 1976. The troubled film was delayed by an early production company bankruptcy and was eventually produced during a writer's strike in 2009 which disengaged Jacobson from full control of subsequent script revisions. The film was directed by Taylor Hackford
Taylor Hackford
Taylor Edwin Hackford is an American film director, and the current president of the Directors Guild of America.-Early life:Hackford was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Mary , a waitress, and Joseph Hackford...
, starring Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
and Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
. Jacobson's non-fiction reflection on man's inhumanity to man The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans
The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans
The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans is a 2010 nonfiction book by U.S. author Mark Jacobson. It recounts the attempt to ascertain the origin of a lampshade made out of human skin.-Synopsis:...
(2010), based on the discovery of a lampshade made of human skin purported to be a Nazi souvenir uncovered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Jacobson was awarded the 2001 Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
for his screenplay work on The Believer. He is currently a contributing Editor at New York Magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
and a frequent contributor to The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
, Natural History Magazine
Natural History (magazine)
Natural History is an American natural history magazine. The stated mission of the magazine is to promote public understanding and appreciation of nature and science.- History :...
, Men's Journal
Men's Journal
Men's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
as well as other publications.
Acting
In 2009 Jacobson made his film debut in the Steven Soderberg film The Girlfriend ExperienceThe Girlfriend Experience
The Girlfriend Experience is a 2009 experimental drama film shot in New York City. It is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars then-active porn star Sasha Grey. A rough cut was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. The film has also been made available on Amazon Video on Demand...
in his role as a journalist interviewing adult film star Sasha Grey
Sasha Grey
Sasha Grey is an American former pornographic actress, who has since turned to mainstream acting, modeling and music....
.