Ernest J. Gaines
Ernest J. Gaines | |
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Gaines in 2015 | |
| Born | Ernest James Gaines January 15, 1933 Oscar, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 5, 2019 (aged 86) Oscar, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Notable works | A Lesson Before Dying The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman A Gathering of Old Men |
| Notable awards | National Humanities Medal Ordre des Arts et des Lettres |
| Spouse | |
Ernest James Gaines (January 15, 1933 – November 5, 2019) 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.
Born in Louisiana, Gaines spent his early life living on the Riverlake Plantation before moving to California and later serving in the United States Army. Over the course of his life, Gaines worked a variety of temporary jobs to support his life as a writer. His works include themes such as race, family, community, and humanity.
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.