Remembering Ernest J. Gaines
The award-winning, iconic African-American writer died Tuesday at his home in Oscar, La.
By Lisa D. DeNeal
I scrolled Facebook earlier this afternoon and gasped at the latest post from one of my favorite authors, Bernice L. McFadden (“Sugar,” “Book of Harlan”). “And just like that, the ancestors has called Ernest Gaines home…”
A story link with a photo of Mr. Gaines smiling, confirmed his death. I opened the link, read it then closed it. He was 86 years old and died in his home. News outlets were slow to post stories; the pace picked up within an hour of the story I read on McFadden’s page. Even now, as I check Twitter, #ErnestGaines hides until I type it in the search bar and tweets from a handful of news outlets are overwhelmed by tweets from fans and loved ones.
To those who never heard of Ernest J. Gaines or only know a little bit, I’ll leave it to you to read the online stories of Mr. Gaines living, growing up, working and returning to live on the Louisiana plantation (River Lake in Pointe Coupee, Parish) that fueled the plots of his novels. I’ll leave it to you to look up those novels — “Catherine Carmier,” “Of Love and Dust,” “A Lesson Before Dying,” “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “A Gathering of Old Men,” etc. — and meet characters created from his life experiences and those who were a part of his life. I’ll leave it to you to search for HBO’s adaptation of “A Lesson Before Dying,” that starred Don Cheadle and Mekhi Phifer, and CBS’s made-for-TV movie adaptations of “A Gathering of Old Men,” and, of course, the nine Emmy awards winning adaptation of, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” I’ll leave it to you to read about two U.S. Presidents who honored him with awards.
I’m sharing the time I crashed a VIP reception for Mr. Gaines during his weekend visit to Gary and Northwest Indiana in 2002.
My introduction to Mr. Gaines’ work was the CBS Made-for-TV movie, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” which premiered in 1974, three years after the novel was published.
I was seven when it aired, and a television was already my companion. When I wasn’t reading, I watched television. I’m pretty sure the entire household watched the phenomenal Cicely Tyson play the title character (It was years later when I discovered Tyson was younger than I thought when she played the character. I also appreciated the art of makeup transformation). I read the novel in my teens and learned of his other novels during that time. When HBO presented the movie adaptation of Gaines’ masterpiece, “A Lesson Before Dying” with Phifer playing Jefferson in 1993, I was deep into the appreciation of Gaines’ storytelling.
Fast forward to nine years later. I am a correspondent at the Post-Tribune newspaper. The paper is part of a series where books by well-known authors are the centerpieces of discussion. “One Region, One Book” was the title of the series. It was like a book club selection for an entire region to buy, check out at a library and have a discussion. When Gaines’ “A Lesson Before Dying” was selected, I was excited. When I found out that Gaines was coming to Gary to discuss his masterpiece…
I damn near passed out.
“An Evening with Ernest J. Gaines,” was taking place at West Side High School as part of the West Side Theatre Guild’s season of events. I was calm, especially around my then Northlake editor, Richard Grey — I’m pretty sure he knew I was over the moon about the announcement and chuckled about it behind my back — but inside, I was screaming. I bought a new copy of “A Lesson Before Dying,” then purchased new and first-time purchases of many of his novels. I re-read ALBD in the countdown to the special night. I told Grey that he better not assign me to anything else that night. I meant what I said and he heard it in my tone of voice.
Of course there was a slew of pre-event activities for Gaines and his wife, Dianne Saulney Gaines. One such event was a private, VIP reception in Northwest Indiana the night before festivities at West Side.
My mind was made up as soon as I saw the itinerary. I was going to this reception. I did not sweet talk my way into a ticket, nor begged someone to let me be his/her ‘plus one.’
I drove to the location and walked inside. Someone at the front table happened to recognize me as a P-T correspondent. I got in. I did not give a damn about the buffet spread, the drinks, the cash bar…none of that. I wanted to meet Ernest J. Gaines.
I’ll tell you right now, I don’t remember what I said to this man when I found him in the reception hall. Not surrounded by admirers. I can tell you I was ecstatic when I noticed him and his wife in the midst of the crowd.
I may have stammered in my conversation with him.
When his wife offered to take a photo of me and her husband, I was on cloud nine. If I could’ve smiled harder than what you see in the photo below, I would have.
After thanking his wife for taking the picture…I went home. I was happy as all get out. I was attending “An Evening with Ernest Gaines” the following night, and if the reception would be the only time I was close to him, I was happy. However, it wasn’t.
Mr. Gaines was going to sign copies of “A Lesson Before Dying” and any other novel by him, after the event. So, of course I brought nearly all my copies of his novels to West Side! When the paper’s editor-in-chief arrived at the row where I was, she had two books with her. I remember her asking which books I had, and my answer was moving my hands from my lap to reveal the stack of his books that I wanted autographed.
Before the signing, I was blessed to be in another photo. It’s a group photo backstage at the theater. A tradition that WSTG director Mark Spencer has with performers, crew and supporters.
At the signing, he autographed each book his fans brought to him, including me. I don’t think I wrote not one article about his visit. If I did write a column piece, I cannot recall.
Seeing word of his death saddened me, but also brought back a lot of memories from seeing his masterpiece on the small screen to meeting him. Mr. Gaines’s stamp in the literary field that began before the Civil Rights era is a moment in American history that should not be deemed small. I’m sure more accolades and tributes are filling social media by now. And if not, those who learned of Mr. Gaines, whether through television, and books, gained lessons in storytelling.
My condolences to his wife, Dianne Saulney Gaines, family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Gaines. Thank you for sharing him with all of us.
Lisa D. DeNeal is a freelance writer who’s written for various publications including the Post-Tribune, Gary Crusader, Black Girl Nerds, Hope for Women, Jolity, and Port of Harlem. She is author of the novels, “Dead Lies,” and “Extra! Extra! Love!” Co-author of the memoir, “Unflappable” with Carolyn E. Mosby, and the novel, “The Panthers Club” with Alethea Gordon (under the name, Alethea Pascascio).
