Joe Frank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Frank
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Frank at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2010
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| Born |
Joseph Langermann
August 19, 1938 Strasbourg, France
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| Died | January 15, 2018 (aged 79) Beverly Hills, California, United States
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| Years active | 1978–2017 |
| Spouse(s) | Michal Story |
| Career | |
| Show | "NPR Playhouse," "Work In Progress," "In the Dark," "Somewhere out There," "The Other Side" "Unfictional - KCRW" |
| Station(s) | NPR, KCRW, WESS, WAYO, WCFA, KNVC, KZGM, WDBX, WRUU, KZSR, KDVS, KYBU, |
| Country | United States |
Joe Frank (born Joseph Langermann; August 19, 1938 – January 15, 2018) was a writer, teacher, and radio performer. He was born in France but became famous in America. Joe Frank was known for his unique radio shows. These shows often featured funny, dream-like, and sometimes silly stories. He created them with friends, actors, and family.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Joe Frank was born Joseph Langermann in Strasbourg, France. This city is close to Germany. His family had to leave their home in Poland because of the Nazis' unfair treatment of Jewish people. They moved to the United States for safety.
When Joe was five, his father passed away. Later, his mother married Theodore Frank, and Joe took his stepfather's last name.
As a young man, Joe studied at Hofstra University in New York. He also attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop, a famous writing program. He taught English and Russian literature for many years. Later, he became interested in radio.
Starting Out at NPR
In 1977, Joe Frank began volunteering at a radio station called WBAI in New York. He experimented with radio shows late at night. These shows included his own stories, actors making things up on the spot, and live music.
In 1978, he moved to Washington, D.C. He got his first paid radio job at National Public Radio (NPR). He worked as a co-anchor for All Things Considered. At the end of each show, he had five minutes to share his own creative stories.
From 1978 to 1984, Joe created and produced 18 radio plays for NPR Playhouse. These shows won several awards.
His Time at KCRW
In 1986, Joe Frank moved to Santa Monica, California. He was invited by Ruth Hirschman Seymour, who managed the NPR station KCRW. There, he started his own weekly radio show. It was an hour long and called Joe Frank: Work In Progress.
Joe continued working at KCRW until 2002. His shows changed over time. He created different series like "Work in Progress," "In The Dark," "Somewhere out There," and "The Other Side."
After 2004, Joe started making full-length shows for people who subscribed to his website. In 2012, he began producing half-hour shows for KCRW's "UnFictional" series. He kept making new shows for this series until just a few months before he passed away.
Other Projects and Life
Starting in 2003, Joe Frank performed his original stories on stage. He appeared at theaters and venues in places like California and Illinois.
His many radio shows, totaling 230 hours, are still played on radio stations across the country. These include WNYC in New York and KDVS in California.
Joe Frank faced some health challenges. In 2005, his kidneys stopped working. He received a new kidney in 2006, which helped him for many years. He also had surgery for colon cancer in 2014, which was successful. He passed away on January 15, 2018, after more health issues.
Joe Frank's Radio Style
Joe Frank's radio shows were often serious and funny at the same time. They used a clever, dry sense of humor. He would deliver strange or silly ideas in a very serious way. His shows often talked about big ideas like religion, the meaning of life, and death.
Joe had a very special voice. It was deep and clear, and many people found it familiar. A newspaper once described his voice as "rich as chocolate." He used a special recording trick to make his voice sound close and raw.
His shows often featured repeating music and sounds. He would mix his own calm voice with recorded phone calls. These calls were often with actor friends like Larry Block and Debi Mae West.
In his series "The Other Side," Joe used parts of talks from a Buddhist teacher named Jack Kornfield. Even though they never met, Kornfield didn't mind. He said many of his students found him through Joe's show.
Other Creative Works
Joe Frank did more than just radio shows. Here are some of his other projects:
- He was the voice of the computer in the 1999 movie Galaxy Quest.
- You can hear his voice on songs like "Montok Point" by William Orbit.
- He wrote stage plays, including The Decline of Spengler.
- He published a collection of short stories called The Queen of Puerto Rico and Other Stories.
- He wrote short films for television based on his radio shows.
- Filmmakers like Chel White made short films using parts of Joe Frank's radio shows.
- A comic book called Joe Frank: Ascent was made from his stories.
Documentary Film
A full-length movie about Joe Frank's life and work was released in 2018. It is called Joe Frank: Somewhere Out There. The film was finished before he passed away. It includes interviews with people who worked with him.
His Impact and Legacy
Joe Frank's work inspired many other artists.
- Ira Glass, the host of "This American Life" radio show, worked for Joe Frank early in his career. He says Joe was his biggest inspiration.
- Jad Abumrad, co-host of "Radiolab", was also inspired by Joe.
- Writer David Sedaris is another artist who found inspiration in Joe Frank's work.
- Filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese bought stories from Joe Frank's radio shows.
- The British radio series Blue Jam has similarities to Joe Frank's early shows.
- Comedian Dana Gould says Joe Frank inspired the style of his podcast, The Dana Gould Hour.
Voice-over and Acting
Joe Frank also did voice-overs for commercials. He lent his voice to brands like Zima and Saturn.
- He was the voice of the computer in the movie Galaxy Quest.
- He narrated parts of the show Wild Rescues on Animal Planet.
- He was the narrator in some episodes of W/ Bob & David.
- He had a small acting role in the movie The Game.
Awards and Recognition
Joe Frank received many awards for his creative radio work.
- In 2003, he received the Third Coast International Audio Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
Awards for NPR Playhouse
- 1982: Broadcast Media Award
- 1983: Radio Program Award from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting
- 1983: Gold Award from the International Radio Festival of New York
- 1984: Gold Award from the International Radio Festival of New York (second time)
- 1984: American Nomination to the Prix Italia
- 1985: Special Commendation from the Berlin Prix Futura
Awards for Work In Progress
- 1988: Major Armstrong Award
- 1988: Corporation For Public Broadcasting Program Award
- 1991: Peabody Award (a very important award for electronic media)
- 1993: Guggenheim Fellowship for Radio Art
