Ernest J Gaines

Author Ernest J. Gaines, who wrote The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, shown in his San Francisco home in 1977. His poor childhood on a small Louisiana plantation inspired eight novels.

Novelist Ernest J. Gaines Dies at Age 86

by Richard Gonzales

He won awards for his depictions of rural Louisiana featuring universal themes of hard work, sacrifice and resilience. His book The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman became a much-honored TV movie.