Alex Haley

Haley recounts the transformation of a college drop-out into one of America's most powerful nonfiction writers. One of the few in-depth conversations with Haley before his death in 1992, this tape is a moving testament to a man who, like "Roots" itself, became a symbol of African Americans' determination to endure and excel. Visiting his boyhood home in Tennessee, Haley describes the inspiration he drew from family and friends. He reconstructs his growth as a writer from composing love letters for fellow merchant marines through the dynamic collaboration that created The Autobiography of Malcolm X to the worldwide media phenomenon that was "Roots."