Date of Birth: January 15, 1933
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Date of Death: November 5, 2019
Biography
Ernest James Gaines was an American author best known for his works exploring the African American experience in the rural South. He was born on January 15, 1933, in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. Gaines spent his early childhood on the River Lake Plantation, where his ancestors had worked as slaves, which deeply influenced his literary work. After moving to California at the age of 15, he attended San Francisco State University and later won a writing fellowship to Stanford University. Gaines’ first novel, “Catherine Carmier,” was published in 1964, but he gained widespread acclaim with his 1971 novel, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” which was adapted into an Emmy Award-winning TV movie. His 1993 novel “A Lesson Before Dying” won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Throughout his career, Gaines focused on themes of racial injustice, community, and the struggle for human dignity. He passed away on November 5, 2019, in Oscar, Louisiana.
5 Interesting Facts about Ernest Gaines
1. Ernest Gaines’ novel “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” was adopted into a highly acclaimed TV movie, which won nine Emmy Awards.
2. Gaines was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, awarded by President Bill Clinton in 2000.
3. He was the first African American writer-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
4. “A Lesson Before Dying” was one of the titles selected for Oprah’s Book Club.
5. Gaines was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant,” in 1993.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Ernest Gaines
1. “Words mean nothing. Action is the only thing. Doing. That’s the only thing.” – Ernest J. Gaines, “A Lesson Before Dying”
2. “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?” – Ernest J. Gaines
3. “There will always be men struggling to change, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past.” – Ernest J. Gaines
4. “I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be.” – Ernest J. Gaines, “A Lesson Before Dying”
5. “There is nothing a man cannot do before a woman he loves.” – Ernest J. Gaines, “Of Love and Dust”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Ernest Gaines’ highest net worth was estimated to be around $3 million at the peak of his career.
Children
Ernest Gaines did not have any biological children, but he had a close-knit extended family and was a mentor to many young writers and students.
Relevant Links
1. [Ernest J. Gaines – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_J._Gaines
3. [The Macarthur Fellows Program – Ernest J. Gaines](https://www.macfound.org/fellows/442/
