Harold Courlander
Harold Courlander (born September 18, 1908 in Indianapolis , † March 15, 1996 ) was an American novelist and anthropologist. He conducted research on the cultures of Africa, the Caribbean, the African American as well as the Native American people .
His father was the painter David Courlander .
Harold Courlander studied English at the University of Michigan (BA 1931) and won three Avery Hopwood awards as a student for a drama and two literary works. With the prize money he traveled to Haiti , inspired by reading William Buehler Seabrook , and in 1939 published a book on Haitian chants.
Courlander served as a historian in Eritrea during World War II . Until 1946 he wrote for the United States Office of War Information . He then worked as a news editor for Voice of America . 1956/1957 he was a speechwriter in the Diplomatic Mission of the United States to the United Nations.
His novel The African , published in 1967, served as a template for Alex Haley's global success Roots .
He was married twice and had three children.
Web links
- Literature by and about Harold Courlander in the catalog of the German National Library
- Curriculum vitae
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Courlander, Harold |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American writer and anthropologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 18, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Indianapolis |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 15, 1996 |