Ernest J. Gaines (1933–2019)
Author of A Lesson Before Dying
About the Author
Ernest James Gaines was born on January 15, 1933, on the River Lake Plantation, Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. His 1993 novel, A Lesson Before Dying, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Gaines has been a MacArthur Foundation fellow, awarded the National Humanities Medal, and show more inducted into the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) as a Chevalier. Although he was educated in California (at San Francisco State College and Stanford University), his fiction is dominated by images and characters drawn from rural Louisiana, where he was born and raised. Unquestionably the most recognizable, and probably the best, of Gaines's novels is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971), a fictional account of the long life of a black woman born a slave on a Louisiana plantation. Through the stories of the many fascinating people who touch Jane's life, Gaines presents not only a moving perspective on the struggles of African Americans but also a social history of the United States since the Civil War. It is a testimony to Gaines's skill as a writer and storyteller that many people believe Jane Pittman was a real person. Indeed, the novel is frequently misshelved in the biography section of bookstores. In 1993 Gaines also won the Dos Passos Prize and in 2000 he won the National Humanities Medal. Of Gaines's other works, Bloodline (1976), a collection of five short stories, stands out for its powerful portrayals of young men in search of self-respect and dignity. In 2013 President Barack Obama presented Mr. Gaines with the National Medal of Arts. Ernest J. Gaines passed away on November 5,2019 at this home in Oscar, LA at the age of 86. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Ian Edelstein / Seattle Municipal Archives
Works by Ernest J. Gaines
Associated Works
Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction (1990) — Contributor — 277 copies, 1 review
The Best Short Stories by Black Writers, 1899-1967: The Classic Anthology (1967) — Contributor — 182 copies, 1 review
Growing Up in the South: An Anthology of Modern Southern Literature (1991) — Contributor — 147 copies, 1 review
Calling the Wind: Twentieth Century African-American Short Stories (1992) — Contributor — 103 copies
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise Edition (2003) — Contributor — 68 copies, 1 review
A Way Out of No Way: Writing about Growing Up Black in America (1996) — Contributor — 33 copies, 2 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Gaines, Ernest James
- Birthdate
- 1933-01-15
- Date of death
- 2019-11-05
- Burial location
- Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery, Port Hudson, Louisiana, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- River Lake Plantation, Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, USA
- Place of death
- Oscar, Louisiana, USA
- Places of residence
- Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, USA
Vallejo, California, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Lafayette, Louisiana, USA - Education
- San Francisco State College
Stanford University - Occupations
- novelist
professor (creative writing ∙ University of Louisiana at Lafayette) - Organizations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (1998)
Fellowship of Southern Writers (charter member)
University of Louisiana at Lafayette - Awards and honors
- National Humanities Medal (2000)
American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award (1987)
John Dos Passos Prize (1993)
Louisiana Writer Award (2000)
F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Fiction (2001)
Cleanth Brooks Medal for Lifetime Achievement (2011) (show all 10)
Sidney Lanier Prize for Southern Literature (2012)
MacArthur Fellowship (1993)
Guggenheim Fellowship (1972 ∙ Fiction)
National Medal of Arts (2013) - Short biography
- Ernest James Gaines was an American author whose works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese. Four of his works were made into television movies. His 1993 novel, A Lesson Before Dying, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Gaines was a MacArthur Foundation fellow, was awarded the National Humanities Medal, and was inducted into the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) as a Chevalier.
Members
Reviews
"My eyes were closed before this moment, Jefferson, My eyes have been closed all my life. Yes, we all need you. Every last one of us."
It's a heartbreaking but ultimately inspiring book. It reminds me of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". It teaches the power of knowledge- how it changes perception. There is more to reality than what the senses can grasp.
“He was the strongest man in that crowded room, Grant Wiggins,” Paul said, staring at me and speaking louder than was necessary. “He was, he was. I’m not saying this to make you feel good, I’m not saying this to ease your pain.”p. 255… (more)
It's a heartbreaking but ultimately inspiring book. It reminds me of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". It teaches the power of knowledge- how it changes perception. There is more to reality than what the senses can grasp.
“He was the strongest man in that crowded room, Grant Wiggins,” Paul said, staring at me and speaking louder than was necessary. “He was, he was. I’m not saying this to make you feel good, I’m not saying this to ease your pain.”p. 255… (more)
Graced with seriousness, importance, humanity, and some snorting-through-my-nose humor. Wonderful.
Excellent! Second time around for me and just as compelling. Lovely writing.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Lists
A Novel Cure (1)
AP Lit (2)
Southern Fiction (1)
Carole's List (1)
Overdue Podcast (1)
History (1)
Black Authors (2)
Schwob Nederland (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 18
- Also by
- 22
- Members
- 9,083
- Popularity
- #2,648
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 168
- ISBNs
- 191
- Languages
- 7
- Favorited
- 13
2011 review.