Gaines’ stamp offers an impressive representation of the man I knew and admired, and it reminds me of the immeasurable grace, strength and character he displayed throughout his life and through his words,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL-Lafayette president. The book that earned widespread notice for Gaines, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” is a first-person narrative of a fictional 110-year-old woman born into slavery. Published in 1971, the novel’s inspiration was Augusteen Jefferson, Gaines’ disabled aunt who helped raise him. “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Gathering of Old Men” (1984) became honored television movies. Gaines’ novels, which have drawn comparisons to the writings of William Faulkner and Charles Dickens, have been published in at least 17 languages.

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