Author Ernest J. Gaines to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp as part of the Black Heritage Series

The U.S. Postal Service has announced many of the stamps it will issue in 2023. Among those stamps will be one honoring author Ernest J. Gaines

The 46th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Ernest J. Gaines (1933-2019). Best known for such novels as “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Lesson Before Dying,” Gaines drew from his childhood as the son of sharecroppers on a Louisiana plantation to explore the untold stories of rural African Americans, adding a vital voice to American literature. The stamp features an oil painting of Gaines, based on a 2001 photograph. Mike Ryan designed the stamp with art by Robert Peterson. Greg Breeding served as art director.