Alex-Haley

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumpto:navigation,searchAlexHaleyHaleyasayoungmanintheU.S.CoastGuardBornAugust11,1921Ithaca,NewYork[1]DiedFebruary10,1992(aged70)Seattle,WashingtonOccupationWriterAlexHaley(August11,1921–February10,1992)wasanAfrican-Americanwriter.HeisbestknownastheauthorofRoots:TheSagaofanAmericanFamilyandTheAutobiographyofMalcolmX(writtenincollaborationwithMalcolmX).Contents[hide]1Earlylife2Writingcareero2.1Playboymagazineo2.2Roots3Lateryears4Plagiarismandothercriticism5Recordings6References7Externallinks[edit]EarlylifeHaleywasborninIthaca,NewYorkAugust11,1921.Astheoldestofthreebrothersandasister.HaleylivedwithhisfamilyinHenning,TennesseebeforehereturnedtoIthacawithhisfamilywhenhewasfiveyearsold.Haley'sfatherwasaprofessorofagricultureatCornellUniversityandadecoratedWorldWarIveteran.TheyoungerHaleyalwaysspokeproudlyofhisfatherandtheincredibleobstaclesofracismhehadovercome.AlexHaleywasenrolledatAlcornStateUniversityatage15.Twoyearslaterhereturnedtohisparentstoinformthemofhiswithdrawalfromcollege.SimonHaleyfeltthatAlexneededdisciplineandgrowthandconvincedhissontoenlistinthemilitarywhenheturned18.OnMay24,1939,AlexHaleybeganhisthirtyyearenlistmentwiththeCoastGuard.HeenlistedasamessattendantandthenbecameaPettyOfficerThirdClassintherateofSteward,oneofthefewratesopentoAfricanAmericansatthattime.HisCoastGuardservicenumberwas212-548.ItwasduringhisserviceinthePacifictheaterofoperationsthatHaleytaughthimselfthecraftofwritingstories.Itissaidthatduringhisenlistmenthewasoftenpaidbyothersailorstowriteloveletterstotheirgirlfriends.Hetalkedofhowthegreatestenemyheandhiscrewfacedduringtheirlongseavoyageswasn'ttheJapanesebutboredom.AlexHaley'sboyhoodhomeinHenning,Tennessee(2007)AfterWorldWarII,HaleywasabletopetitiontheCoastGuardtoallowhimtotransferintothefieldofjournalism,andby1949hehadbecomeaPettyOfficerFirstClassintheratingofJournalist.HelateradvancedtoChiefPettyOfficerandheldthisgradeuntilhisretirementfromtheCoastGuardin1959.HewasthefirstChiefJournalistintheCoastGuard.[2]Haley'sawardsanddecorationsfromtheCoastGuardincludetheAmericanDefenseServiceMedal(withSeaclasp),AmericanCampaignMedal,Asiatic-PacificCampaignMedal,European-African-MiddleEasternCampaignMedal,WorldWarIIVictoryMedal,CoastGuardGoodConductMedal(with1silverand1bronzeservicestar),KoreanServiceMedal,NationalDefenseServiceMedal,UnitedNationsServiceMedal,andtheCoastGuardExpertMarksmanshipMedal.[2][edit]WritingcareerAfterhisretirementfromtheCoastGuard,HaleybeganhiswritingcareerandeventuallybecameasenioreditorforReader'sDigest.[edit]PlayboymagazineHaleyconductedthefirstinterviewforPlayboymagazine.Theinterview,withjazzlegendMilesDavis,appearedintheSeptember1962issue.Intheinterview,Daviscandidlyspokeabouthisthoughtsandfeelingsonracismanditwasthatinterviewthatsetthetoneforwhatbecameasignificantfeatureofthemagazine.MartinLutherKing,Jr.'sPlayboyInterviewwithHaleywasthelongestheevergrantedtoanypublication.Throughoutthe1960s,Haleywasresponsibleforsomeofthemagazine'smostnotableinterviews,includinganinterviewwithAmericanNaziPartyleaderGeorgeLincolnRockwell,whoagreedtomeetwithHaleyonlyafterHaley,inaphoneconversation,assuredhimthathewasnotJewish.HaleyremainedcalmandprofessionalduringtheintervieweventhoughRockwellkeptahandgunonthetablethroughoutit.HaleyalsointerviewedMuhammadAli,whospokeaboutchanginghisnamefromCassiusClay.OtherinterviewsincludeJackRuby'sdefenseattorneyMelvinBelli,SammyDavis,Jr.,JimBrown,JohnnyCarson,andQuincyJones.HecompletedamemoirofMalcolmXforPlayboysixmonthsbeforeMalcolmXdiedinFebruary1965.ThememoirwaspublishedintheJuly1965issueofthemagazine.[edit]RootsIn1976,HaleypublishedRoots:TheSagaofanAmericanFamily,anovelbasedonhisfamily'shistory,startingwiththestoryofKuntaKinte,kidnappedinTheGambiain1767andtransportedtotheProvinceofMarylandtobesoldasaslave.Haleyclaimedtobeaseventh-shirridescendantofKuntaKinte,andHaley'sworkonthenovelinvolvedtenyearsofresearch,intercontinentaltravelandwriting.HewenttothevillageofJuffure,whereKuntaKintegrewupandwhichisstillinexistence,andlistenedtoatribalhistoriantellthestoryofKinte'scapture.[1]Haleyalsotracedtherecordsoftheship,TheLordLigonier,whichhesaidcarriedhisancestortoAmerica.GenealogistshavesincedisputedHaley'sresearchandconclusions,andHaleymadeanout-of-courtsettlementwithHaroldCourlander,whohadsuedhimforplagiarism.AvillageelderofJuffureissaidtohavecommentedtoavisitingengineerin1983thatHaleyhadtakenwhattheJuffurepeoplehadprovided,madehimselfalotofmoneywithit,buthadneverreturnedtoJuffureorhelpedthevillageinanyway.HaleywasbrieflyawriterinresidenceatHamiltonCollegeinClinton,NewYork,wherehebeganworkonRoots.ManyofthelocalsrememberHaleyfondly.[citationneeded]HeenjoyedspendingtimeatalocalbistrocalledTheSavoyinRome,NewYork,wherehewouldsometimespassthetimelisteningtothepianoplayer.Today,thereisaspecialtableinhonorofHaleywithapaintingofAlexwritingRootsonayellowlegaltablet.HaleyhasstatedthatthemostemotionalmomentofhislifeoccurredonSeptember29,1967,whenhestoodatthesiteinAnnapolis,MarylandwherehisancestorhadarrivedfromA