About
Joel Brokaw Biography
In a writer’s life, there is no such thing as a wasted experience. Good, bad, or indifferent, it is all raw material for the imagination, just waiting for the right moment to meet the page.
Joel Brokaw has been the grateful beneficiary of a life experience that has helped give him a valuable perspective. Whether growing tomatoes in the social-laboratory of Sweden during the 1970s or working in Hollywood with some of the most famous people on the planet, Joel has had a front row seat to noteworthy cultural and societal developments over the decades.
Working in the entertainment industry as a publicist for more than 30 years, Joel learned from some of the best in how artists use their craft and their medium to connect with audiences. Foremost he realized how this connection must be immediate, accessible, uncomplicated yet novel. It had to go beyond the intellect and penetrate on the body and soul. He also observed that the artists with the greatest longevity achieved that through honesty and integrity with their audiences. And many of them taught him the greatest gift—how art created with the right intention can help elevate the human spirit for the highest good.
Here is a brief sampling of Joel’s journey:
Joel was born as the fourth generation in a show business family. His paternal grandmother’s family was a Russian acrobatic dance troupe that performed for European royalty and on the American vaudeville stage. His grand uncle Johnny Hyde discovered Marilyn Monroe. And his super-agent father worked from the mailroom to become chairman of the William Morris Agency. His maternal aunt was Sara Berner, a character/comedic actress whose most notable roles were in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and as a member of Jack Benny’s ensemble.
After finishing college at UCLA in 1975, Joel did not pursue the career path but elected to live in Europe for what became a six-year absence. He taught English and worked summers on an idyllic vegetable farm on a small island on the west coast of Sweden. He returned in 1981 and started working at his brothers’ boutique public relations agency in West Hollywood. Some of his notable clients included Loretta Young, Ricardo Montalban, Lindsay Wagner and the philanthropic, civil rights and educational initiatives of Bill and Camille Cosby. Many of his clients used their celebrity to promote charitable and non-profit causes.
In 2004, Joel bugged his PR client Tyler Perry to write a book based on the wit and wisdom of his Madea character. Finally, he said, “Why don’t you do it!” So, Joel interviewed Tyler on tape, and the final result was an award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings. This sparked a new career as an author, collaborator, and ghostwriter. Since that time, Joel has written several other books (see “Books” page). Joel’s personal interests include hiking, meditation, gardening, and cooking. He is the father of two sons and a daughter. He lives in Sonoma County, California.