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Malcolm X Archive of 127 Alex Haley Items Related to The Autobiography, Many Annotated
Malcolm X Archive of 127 Alex Haley Items Related to The Autobiography, Many Annotated
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Description:

Malcolm X
New York, NY, ca. 1963-1969
Malcolm X Archive of 127 Alex Haley Items Related to The Autobiography, Many Annotated
Archive
MALCOLM X, ALEX HALEY, Archive of materials related to the publication of The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), 1963-1969. 127 documents, 187 pp., many 8.5" x 11"; balance, smaller. In individual sleeves; some toning and folding; very good.

Malcolm X and Alex Haley first met in 1959, when Haley wrote an article about the Nation of Islam for Reader's Digest. From 1963 to 1965, Haley conducted more than fifty in-depth interviews with Malcolm X to prepare the autobiography. The book is a spiritual conversion narrative that traces Malcolm X's conversion to Islam and his philosophy of black pride, black nationalism, and Pan-Africanism. It also documents his disillusionment with and departure from the Nation of Islam and conversion to Sunni Islam in 1964. After Malcolm X was assassinated in February 1965, Haley wrote an epilogue and published the book in October 1965.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X was Haley's first book, and it has been a consistent best-seller since its publication, selling more than six million copies by 1977. Time magazine considered it one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the twentieth century.

In 1992, Spike Lee used a screenplay by James Baldwin and Arnold Perl based on the Autobiography for his film Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington as the title character.

This archive includes dozens of letters to Haley thanking him for The Autobiography of Malcolm X and expressing how much it moved or changed them. Many contain his writing specifically his distinctive green pen A few draft letters by Haley are also present regarding the publication and promotion of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. This interesting collection also includes some racist and bizarre responses to the book. Several letters request additional information on Malcolm X, his family, and his Organization of Afro-American Unity, and a few invited Haley to participate in speaking events.

Highlights and Excerpts
- Alex Haley, Typed Draft Letter, to Ralph G. Murdy, March 18, 1964, Rome, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"And, interestingly, though I wrote in the Times about ‘Uncle Tom,' most of the mail concerns, as your letter does, too, what only the little author's box mentioned, the Black Muslims and Malcolm X. You'll be intensely interested (among a million or so other people, I hope) in this forthcoming story of his life. It seems to me truly the most incredible sheer dramatic sweep that could be imagined happening to one man, from practically foetus to the present."
Murdy was a former F.B.I. Special Agent and worked with the Baltimore Criminal Justice Commission. He was the author of "Islam Incarcerated," for the American Journal of Correction (January-February 1961), a copy of which he sent to Haley.

- [Alex Haley], Typed Draft Letter, to "Ken [McCormic], Tony and Paul [Reynolds]," April 6, [1964], Americana Hotel, [New York, NY]. 1 p., 7.25" x 10.5".
"Well, just awhile ago Malcolm X. left. He had to hurry home, to drive to the airport his sister Ella, who is visiting. He read this chapter with grunting approval.. .. So here, then, for you now, is ‘Saved.'"
"And I think you're going to agree, when you have read it, that you never anticipated this depth in this man, nor the unusual manner in which he acquired it. And you will agree that this chapter opens up a whole new area of people who will seriously ponder and discuss this utterly fascinating personality, America's Number One demagogue. The scholars."
"And, take my word, the greatest impact is yet to come in the few more chapters we have to go, when, Malcolm X., moves swiftly to becoming the famous personage, then with his wit, satire, erudition and etcetera he talks about, as he sees it, this country and this world in his iconoclastic way."
"‘Saviour' I figure will reach you on Friday."
"Isn't this book just terrific?"

- Dr. Antonia Wolpert, Typed Postcard Signed, to Saturday Evening Post editorial department, September 23, 1964, Philadelphia, PA. 1 p., 5.5" x 3.25".
"I...have just read the article of ‘MALCOLM X' in your Sat. Post from 12. Sept. I am very concerned of what could become of this black Gentleman – and would find it of real necessity, that this article should be translated and published also in EUROPE, where I come from and will return at end of October. I myself would very much appreciate it if I was given the opportunity of translating it into German, for German and Austrian Paper."

- Alex Haley, Partially Printed Money Order for $50 to Mrs. Betty Shabazz, November 12, 1964, Rome, NY. 1 p., 7.25" x 3.5".
Betty Shabazz (1934-1997) married Malcolm X in 1958, and they had six daughters. After his assassination, she did not remarry and raised their daughters, aided by royalties from The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In June 1997, her grandson set fire to her apartment, and she died from her resulting injuries three weeks later.

- Ken McCormick, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, March 16, 1945, New York, NY. 1 p., 7.25" x 10.5",
"I think the hardest thing I ever had to do was to call Paul Reynolds and ask him to show THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X to other publishers. In a policy decision at Doubleday, where I was a minor, contrary vote, it was decided that we could not publish the Malcolm X book. I want you to know how much I respect the enormous energy and inspiration you poured into that book. I'm sorry we aren't going to have the privilege of publishing it, but I hope it doesn't mean the end of the relationship between us."
In March 1965, three weeks after the assassination of Malcolm X, Nelson Doubleday Jr. canceled the contract to publish The Autobiography of Malcolm X out of fear for the safety of his employees.

- Harry Braverman, Grove Press, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, June 8, 1965, New York, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"I worked on your Epilogue over the weekend and managed to cut it only by about 25%. I won't say that every word hurt me more than it's going to hurt you, but some of the cutting was pretty painful, as I hated to lose anything out of here. It is still half a book in length...."
Grove Press picked up the contract for The Autobiography of Malcolm X and published it in October 1865 to wide sales. After the assassination of Malcolm X, Haley added an epilogue that described their working relationship that created the manuscript.

- Eddie Jaffe, Copy of Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, July 7, 1965, New York, NY. 2 pp., 8.5" x 11".
"My wife isn't talking to me and my daughter is asking, ‘Daddy, don't you love me anymore?' for I spent the entire week-end reading the biography galleys."
"Starting with his arrival in Roxbury and through most of his prison episodes, it is one of the most exciting biographies I have ever read."
"The publicity possibilities of the book are tremendous. First of all, I believe that the objective should be to make it a best seller before publication. By that I mean create a demand which will result in people trying to get the book before it even goes on sale."
"Publicity for the book after publication will be completely wasted. By that time, word-of-mouth would have either made it a best seller or let it drop. But to generate as much word-of-mouth publicity as possible before the book is out is the trick of getting the maximum sales out of it."
"You have done one of the greatest jobs I have ever seen in putting a human being onto paper and his coming across so that the reader can almost feel his presence in the room."
Eddie Jaffe (1913-2003) was a freelance press agent and promoter.

- Eddie Jaffe, Copy of Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, July 7, 1965, New York, NY. 2 pp., 8.5" x 11".
"After reading the book, I think it can be a tremendous movie. The problem, as with most biographical films, is trying to say too much. Actually, there are three movies here. The one I like best is the one which starts with his arrival in Roxbury and takes him through his regeneration in prison."
"James Earl Jones is most interested in doing it even though he has not, as yet, read the book."

- William A. Dillon, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, October 14, 1965, Rome, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"I am well into the book which is one of the most impressive social studies I have seen in a long time. I was quite frankly surprised at the superior writing talent and craftsmanship you have displayed. Your ability in this field clearly ranks with that of major writers. The book is highly readable, searching and beautifully constructed."
"I hope you receive the wide readership you deserve. It is a splendid piece of work."
Willaim A. Dillon was the director of the Jervis Library in Rome, New York.

- Edith M. Horsley, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, November 18, 1965, London, England. 1 p., 7.75" x 9.5".
"The outline suggested for your next book intrigues me, as to how far you may have access to actual record, etc. If you can keep the same degree of ‘passion without excitement' that you achieved in Malcolm X, it should be really something."
Haley was planning a book on the "King of Torts" attorney Melvin M. Belli (1907-1996).

- Alex Haley, Typed Note, with Eliot Fremont-Smith, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, December 15, 1965, New York. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
[Haley:] "The critics were kind enough to give many excellent reviews to this ‘Autobiography of Malcolm X.' Privately, professionally, my most highly valued was this note from The New York Times' top book critic."
[Fremont-Smith:] "It's a most fascinating book and a very impressive job you did on it. Someone said, correctly, that you've set a new (and needed) standard for the ‘written with' autobiography."

- Sylvia Ardyn Boone, Autograph Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, January 12, 1966, Accra, Ghana. 4 pp., 8" x 12.75".
"There has been so much darkness here since Brother Malcolm's death. He was so much stronger and braver than we were; so instead of helping him, it was he who dragged us along."
"But, Alex, what I wanted to talk to you about is the book. What can I say—it is great, it is gripping. Your mastery of your craft and your sensitivity have made of this book a classic of its genre."
"In this period, for all his poise and brilliance, the Minister consistently made one embarrassing slip-of-the-tongue. You will remember how he would often substitute the word ‘black' for the word ‘white,' so that one would wince to hear him declaim: ‘I hate every drop of black blood in my veins.'"
"By the time I met Brother Malcolm again in 1964, this trait was gone; he just never made mistakes like that again in any of his public utterances.... The only thing I see that would have caused this change is you, Alex, and your working together on the autobiography."
"The work was a shaking experience for the Minister. I suggest that a real catharsis took place that was extremely therapeutic for him. Many wounds healed. He became the ‘new Malcolm'—more flexible, more compassionate, his heart broadened."
Sylvian Ardyn Boone (1940-1993) was an African-American art historian specializing in African art.

- Denis R. Berger, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, July 9, 1966, Bronx, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"I am a nineteen year old white man who can't begin to express to you the emotional and intellectual stimulation which The Autobiography of Malcolm X has given me. I have travelled extensively throughout Western Europe for the last two summers, and each time I come back to the U.S. I feel engulfed by the waves of dehumanization and brutalization that have touched these shores. Malcolm X's life depicts the importance of the human individual. This autobiography has compelled me to question who I am, what my role is in this American society, and most important, what is the true social, economic, and political fabric of this country."

- Budd Schulberg, Typed Telegram, to Alex Haley, July 14, 1966, Beverly Hills, CA. 1 p., 8" x 5.75".
"Must be telepathy was just seeking your address to ask exactly the sort of help you offer in your welcome letter could you address my group at 330pm Friday July 29 Please airmail your answer"
Budd Schulberg (1914-2009) was an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and television producer.

- Frank Perry, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, February 27, 1967, New York, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"I have just finished your overwhelming book (which we dashed out to buy the day after we met you) and I must say that I am absolutely staggered by the man and his life. I found it an inspiration in the purest sense of that overworked word. And I found your writing compassionate and flawless."
Frank Perry (1930-1995) was a stage director and filmmaker.

- J. Bashir Ahmad Dultz, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, March 19, 1967, Tripoli, Libya. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"I have just finished reading the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and I just have to tell you how much I appreciate your work. I hope that people of all colors and all nationalities will read the story of this great Afro-American – or shall I say black man or negro, I still do not know, what designation your people prefer most."
"The dramatic life and the tragic end of brother Malcolm's life is a writing on the wall – may people read and understand this message, insha'allah."
"PS: Has brother Malcolm['s] family been taken care of in a fitting way?"

- Alex Haley, Typed Draft Letter, to Jerry, September 21, 1967, Rome, NY. Q p., 8.5" x 11".
"The stage rights are now committed. James Baldwin is writing a three-act drama, based on the book, which [Elia] Kazan will direct, which is scheduled to open in the spring on Broadway."
"The motion picture rights, to now, are only nebulously committed, which is to say that, in fact, they are not tied up as yet, at all, by money and/or contract."
"It astonishes me, it really does (and I know it would Malcolm) how scarcely a day passes that I don't see him quoted in the press, or reminisced in some way, by someone...."

- Patrick Ryan, S. J., Woodstock College, Autograph Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, October 2, 1967, Woodstock, MD. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"In a world and a nation gone mad, you have made it possible for me to encounter a great man, Malcolm X. Thank you very much. Your book is the Inferno and Purgatorio of this century in America."
"I can say nothing intelligent to you this evening. Only silence can capture my feelings about Malcolm X."
Father Patrick Ryan entered the Society of Jesus in 1957 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. For about half of his life as a priest, he worked in Nigeria and Ghana. He joined the faculty at Fordham University in 1983, where since 2009, he has been the Lawrence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society.

- Deborah Joanne Davis, Autograph Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, July 8, 1968, Encino, CA. 1 p., 7.25" x 9".
"Today I finished reading the masterpiece of Malcolm X's autobiography. I want to commend you for your most brilliant and moving relation of his story. It has certainly affected me very deeply, as I hope it will affect my family and friends and others whom I do not know personally. His message is the profoundly tragic sickness and also the hope of this American society. Only when all peoples of the world learn to live together as brothers will the wrongs personified in Mr. Malcolm X begin to be alleviated."

- John Monro, Typed Letter Signed, to Alex Haley, August 6, 1968, Birmingham, AL. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"Needless to say I am much impressed by your ‘Autobiography of Malcolm X.' We shall be using it here again this autumn as an assigned book in Freshman English. It will amuse you, I am sure, that my principal assigned work in the book has to do with vocabulary. We will learn 500 words in that context. The vocabulary is just what we need, and of course we have no trouble getting the students to read the book. I read and discussed it carefully with a good class last spring, and we spent a productive two months on it. A very valuable book to have. It cannot have been easy to do. A bit like trying to catch quick silver."

- Alex Haley, Typed Draft Letter, to Linda S. Wallace, June 5, 1969, Rome, NY. 1 p., 8.5" x 11".
"Nice to have the letter from you. Numerous people write saying how ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X' was moving to them, and always I wish that Malcolm himself might have read these letters. Time and again, I think of how, busy as he was, when the book was proposed, he pondered and said finally, ‘If telling my life will help to paint any better picture of the black man's life here in America, then I will find the time to tell it.' And he cooperated for a year with me in long, exhaustive interviews."

- Marilyn Wilkes, Autograph Note Signed, to Penny Burrell, n.d., n.p. 1 p., 6" x 9".
"it's my feeling that this should be required reading for everyone, especially whites. Going through the last chapters, I kept thinking, ‘Why weren't we told what he was all about? Why didn't we get the truth?' Of course, the answer to that is, Why didn't we ask? Bliss sustained by ignorance."


Malcolm X (1925-1965) was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, to an immigrant mother from Grenada and her husband from Georgia. His father was an outspoken Baptist lay leader, and both parents were active in the local Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The family moved to Milwaukee and then Lansing, Michigan, when Malcolm was very young. When he was six, his father died in what was ruled a streetcar accident, though his mother believed he was murdered by white racists. In 1938, his mother was committed to the Kalamazoo State Hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown. Her children were sent to foster homes, and Malcolm and his siblings obtained her release twenty-four years later. Although an excellent student, he dropped out of high school and held a variety of jobs over the next several years while living with his half-sister in Boston. He moved to Harlem in 1943 and worked for a railroad and engaged in several illegal activities. When summoned by the draft board for service in World War II, he feigned insanity and was declared mentally disqualified for military service. Late in 1945, he committed a series of burglaries. Arrested in 1946, he was tried, convicted, and began to serve a sentence of eight to ten years in Massachusetts state prisons. While in prison, he joined the Nation of Islam, a new movement that taught Black self-reliance and the return of the African diaspora to Africa. In 1950, he declared himself a communist and began signing his name "Malcolm X." Paroled in August 1952, Malcolm X visited Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad in Chicago and became assistant minister of the Nation's temple in Detroit. He soon established or expanded temples in Boston; Philadelphia; Harlem; Springfield, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and Atlanta. By the late 1950s, he began to refer to himself as Malcolm Shabazz, and newspaper, radio, and television journalists were frequently reporting his comments on issues and events. In contrast to the organizations of the civil rights movement, the Nation of Islam forbade its members from voting or engaging in the political process. While the civil rights movement advocated racial integration, Malcolm X advocated complete separation from Whites. His views were also broadly antisemitic, and his autobiography's coauthor, Alex Haley, tempered some of his statements about Jews in the manuscript. He helped convince Muhammad Ali to join the Nation of Islam and mentored Louis X (later known as Louis Farrakhan), who became the leader of the Nation of Islam. Disagreements with Elijah Muhammad led Malcolm X to break with the Nation of Islam in March 1964. Still a Muslim, he founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., and soon converted to the Sunni Muslim faith. In April 1964, he completed a pilgrimage to Mecca. Throughout 1964, leaders of the Nation of Islam threatened Malcolm X's death. While preparing for a speaking engagement in Manhattan on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was shot to death by three Nation members. All three were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Alex Haley (1921-1992) was born in Ithaca, New York. After two years of college at Alcorn State University in Mississippi and Elizabeth City State College in North Carolina, Haley began a twenty-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939. He began to craft stories while serving during World War II. By the time he retired from the Coast Guard in 1959, he was a chief petty officer and the first chief journalist in the Coast Guard, the rating expressly created for him. He became a senior editor for Reader's Digest magazine and conducted interviews for Playboy magazine. His first book was The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965). In 1976, Haley published Roots: The Saga of an American Family, based on the history of his family, for which he won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1977. The book has been published in 37 languages and was the basis for a 1977 miniseries of the same name. In 1978, he settled a plagiarism suit out of court for copying parts of The African (1967), a novel by Harold Courlander. Haley was working on a second historical novel at the time of his death in 1992; David Stevens finished the novel at Haley's request, and it was published as Alex Haley's Queen (1993).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.5" x 12.75"
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