Sam Greenlee facts for kids

Samuel Eldred Greenlee, Jr. (born July 13, 1930 – died May 19, 2014) was an American writer. He wrote both novels and poems.

He is most famous for his novel The Spook Who Sat by the Door. This book was first published in London in 1969. Many publishers had said no to it before it was finally printed. The book was even chosen as The Sunday Times Book of the Year. Later, in 1973, the novel was made into a movie with the same name. Sam Greenlee helped write and produce the film. Today, this movie is seen as a "cult classic," meaning it's very popular with a certain group of fans.

Life and Work

Early Life and School

Sam Greenlee was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Desoree Alexander, a singer and dancer, and Samuel Greenlee, a railroad worker. He grew up in the west Woodlawn area of Chicago.

He went to Englewood High School. In 1948, he won a scholarship for track and field to the University of Wisconsin. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in political science. This is the study of how governments work. After college, he served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954. He then studied international relations at the University of Chicago. This is about how different countries get along.

Working for the U.S. Abroad

In 1957, Greenlee started working for the United States Information Agency (USIA). This agency shares information about the U.S. with other countries. He was one of the first Black officials to work overseas. He lived and worked in countries like Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Greece between 1957 and 1965.

In 1958, he received an award called the Meritorious Service Medal. He earned it for being brave during a revolution in Baghdad, Iraq. After eight years, he left the USIA. He stayed in Greece for a few more years and lived on the island of Mykonos.

His Writing Career

While living on Mykonos, Sam Greenlee started writing his most famous novel, The Spook Who Sat by the Door. The story is about a Black man who joins the CIA. He learns how to be a spy. Then, he uses those skills to lead a Black freedom movement in the United States.

Many publishers in America and England did not want to publish his book. But in 1969, a publisher in London named Allison and Busby finally printed it.

Later, Greenlee helped write the movie script for the 1973 film The Spook Who Sat by the Door. He also helped produce the movie. This film is seen as a very important movie from that time. In 2011, a documentary film was made about the Spook movie. It was called Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door. In this documentary, Greenlee talked about how the film was stopped from being shown widely after it came out.

Greenlee also wrote other books. These include Baghdad Blues (1976), a novel based on his time in Iraq. He also wrote poetry collections like Blues for an African Princess (1971) and Ammunition (1975). He wrote short stories and plays too.

Later Years

Sam Greenlee lived in Ghana and Spain for some years. He then moved back to Chicago in the late 1980s. In 1990, he was named the Poet Laureate of Chicago. This is an honor given to a poet who represents the city. He also taught screenwriting at Columbia College Chicago. He hosted a talk show on WVON radio.

In 2018, Sam Greenlee was added to the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. This honors writers from Chicago.

Death

Sam Greenlee passed away in Chicago on May 19, 2014, at the age of 83. His daughter, Natiki Montano, attended a special event held in his honor at Chicago's DuSable Museum of African American History.

See also

In Spanish: Sam Greenlee para niños