Writers and readers paid tribute to Ernest J. Gaines, author of the beloved novel The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, after his death on Tuesday at the age of 86.
Gaines, a native of Louisiana, was the author of several books, including A Gathering of Old Men and A Lesson Before Dying. The latter won the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. His novel The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman was the basis for a critically acclaimed television movie starring Cicely Tyson.
The Ernest J. Gaines Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette posted a tribute to the novelist, writing, “A towering man with a gentle voice, Dr. Gaines was an inspiration to generations and his death will be felt deeply by family, friends, and his University family.”
On Facebook, author Tom Williams mourned Gaines, writing, “Gaines is one of those figures who was essential before I even discovered a desire to write. There might be novels as good as A Lesson Before Dying but none as moving.”
Admirers of Gaines also posted tributes to the novelist on Twitter:
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Ernest J. Gaines, a native Louisianan who used his immense vision and literary talents to tell the stories of African Americans in the South. #lagov #lalege https://t.co/1Pn3tqHdLH
— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) November 5, 2019
Oh no. Cannot express how deeply I was affected by reading the Autobiography of Jane Pittman in grade school. The movie w/@IAmCicelyTyson is one of the most powerful movies and single performances ever on TV. But it starts w the genius of #ErnestGaines . https://t.co/D2yxCFAXby
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) November 6, 2019
Ernest Gaines shared his spirit and his boundless passion for storytelling with so many of us in Louisiana.
— Lamar White, Jr. (@LamarWhiteJr) November 5, 2019
I will always be thankful to my high school English teacher, who became his student and then helped open my world- and so many others- to believe in my voice as a writer. https://t.co/Rs6pvasaT0
A giant of heart and literary power has left this world. There will never be another like Ernest J. Gaines. https://t.co/KPZEPsSeyp
— Wiley Cash (@WileyCash) November 5, 2019
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is like scripture to me. I cannot describe how beloved Ernest Gaines is to me. I’m just so hurt over this. Rest In Peace, Mr. Gaines.
— Honorée Jeffers (@BlkLibraryGirl) November 6, 2019
Michael Schaub is an Austin, Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
