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Alex Haley

アレクサンダー・マレー・パーマー・ヘイリー

Alexander Murray Palmer Haley

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1921-08-11 （Ithaca, New York, U.S.）
Died
1992-02-10 （Seattle, Washington, U.S.） age 70
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Henning, Tennessee, U.S. → Ithaca, New York, U.S. → Clinton/Norris area, Tennessee, U.S. → Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Career

Occupations
Writer, Coast Guardsman, Journalist, Editor
Active Years
1939-1992
Influenced By
Malcolm X, Simon Haley (father, educator)
Influenced
General readers who developed an interest in genealogy and family history, Writers and scholars of African-American history and literature

Education

Alcorn State University
Period: 在籍（中途退学）: 1938–1939
Country: United States
Enrolled but withdrew before graduating.
Elizabeth City State College
Period: 在籍（中途退学）: 1939–1940
Country: United States
Attended for a short period before enlisting in the military.

Awards

Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1966
Work: The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Pulitzer Prize (Special Citation)
1977
Work: Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes
Result: 受賞（特別賞）
Spingarn Medal
1977
Work: For exhaustive research and literary skill in Roots
Organization: NAACP
Result: 受賞
Golden Plate Award
1977
Organization: American Academy of Achievement
Result: 受賞
Korean War Service Medal (posthumous)
2002
Organization: Republic of Korea
Result: 追贈
Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal (multiple awards)
Organization: United States Coast Guard
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

National Book Critics Circle Awards 1 appearances
  1. Edition 1 (1976) Nominee
    Work: Roots

    Beginning with slavery, the book traces a family history and turns memory and inheritance into a large-scale narrative.

    A family story is traced back through the memory of slavery.

    704 pages
    slaveryfamily historymemoryAmerican historyinheritance

Works

Major Works

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

1965 Biography / Oral history

A life history of Malcolm X, compiled from extensive interviews, covering his transformation from street criminal to national spokesman and his evolving philosophy.

IdentityBlack nationalismReligion and conversion

Roots: The Saga of an American Family

1976 Historical novel / Family history

A multi-generational narrative tracing Haley's claimed ancestor Kunta Kinte from Africa through slavery to modern descendants; adapted into a hugely influential television miniseries.

SlaveryFamily lineageAfrican-American memory
Adaptations
  • [Television miniseries] Roots (1977)
  • [Television miniseries (sequel)] Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
  • [Television miniseries (remake)] Roots (2016) (2016)

Queen: The Story of an American Family

1993 Historical novel / Family history

A historical novel about another branch of Haley's family; unfinished at his death and completed by David Stevens for posthumous publication.

Mixed-race ancestryFamily historySouthern U.S. history
Adaptations
  • [Television miniseries] Alex Haley's Queen (1993)

Super Fly T.N.T.

1973 Screenplay / Film

A screenplay written by Haley for the film Super Fly T.N.T.

Bibliography

  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965)
  • Super Fly T.N.T. (screenplay, 1973)
  • Roots: The Saga of an American Family (1976)
  • Alex Haley Tells the Story of His Search for Roots (1977, recording)
  • Palmerstown, U.S.A. (TV series, 1980–1981)
  • A Different Kind of Christmas (stories, 1988)
  • Queen: The Story of an American Family (1993, posthumous)
  • Mama Flora's Family (1998, posthumous)

Adaptations

  • Roots television miniseries (1977)
  • Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
  • Alex Haley's Queen (1993)
  • Roots remake (2016)

Translations of Works

  • Roots was translated into 37 languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A blend of oral history and fictionalized narrativeAccessible, explanatory prose aimed at a broad audience
Recurring Motifs
Family lineageMemory and oral traditionSlavery and its aftermath

Legacy

Through works such as The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Roots, Haley had a major cultural impact in the United States. Roots in particular sparked widespread public interest in genealogy and family history and generated broad social discussion through its television adaptation. At the same time, controversies over historical accuracy and plagiarism have complicated his scholarly legacy.

Museums

  • Alex Haley House and Museum Henning, Tennessee, U.S.

Archives

  • University of Tennessee Libraries Special Collections (Alex Haley Papers)
  • African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (Alex Haley papers), Broward County

In Popular Culture

  • The Roots 1977 television miniseries reached a record audience (approximately 130 million viewers) and had major cultural impact
  • Sequels, remakes, and commemorative monuments and sites related to Roots

Quotes

  • Roots, the story of a black family from its origins in Africa through seven generations to the present day in America.
    Source: Pulitzer Prize citation (Special Award) (1977)

Trivia

  • Roots was published in 1976 and adapted for television in 1977, reaching about 130 million viewers.
  • Haley settled a plagiarism suit brought by Harold Courlander in 1978, reportedly paying $650,000.
  • Haley learned to write while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and later worked as a senior editor at Reader's Digest.
  • The USCG cutter USCGC Alex Haley was named in his honor and recommissioned in 1999.
  • Roots was translated into approximately 37 languages.