Noel Gallagher Wouldn't Buy His Music Zine. Now, He's an Arts Reporter.
Sure, The New York Times's national correspondents in the United States cover 50 states. But Alex Marshall, a reporter for The Times's Culture desk in Europe, covers dozens of countries, which requires navigating more than 40 national governments and dozens of languages.
'There was definitely a learning curve,' said Mr. Marshall, 43, who grew up in Goodmayes, a neighborhood on the fringes of East London, in the city where he is now based.
In recent years, he has explored how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has affected artists, dancers and pop stars in both countries; looked at how rap music became the lightning rod for Sweden's problems with gang warfare; and investigated when — if ever — looted artifacts will be returned to their countries of origin. He's also camped out in the courtroom for the trial of Kevin Spacey, and attended Ozzy Osbourne's last gig in Birmingham, England.
'I don't think you could do this job unless you love every single culture form, or at least find them interesting,' said Mr. Marshall, who spent a decade as an environmental journalist before joining The Times in 2018. (He also traveled around the world researching a book on national anthems.)
In a recent interview, Mr. Marshall shared how he navigates his beat, how he keeps up with the news and how he balances checking out cultural events for pleasure with covering them for work. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Were you always interested in culture?
I've always loved music. I started my own music fanzine as a teenager, which was an excuse to interview bands and get free CDs. I used to sell that in dingy music venues around London for a pound. Noel Gallagher refused to buy a copy, though he signed it, so I sold it to the person next to him for 10 pounds.
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