Ernest J. Gaines will be interred Saturday among the graves of his ancestors on the former sugar cane plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish where he was born.
Gaines, the internationally acclaimed author of 杏吧专区淭he Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman杏吧专区 and 杏吧专区淎 Lesson Before Dying,杏吧专区 died Nov. 5. The former writer-in-residence at the 杏吧专区 was 86.
La Louisiane, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 magazine, after he won the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Award. He said in the interview he was fixated on saving the cemetery that will now be his final resting place.
杏吧专区淭he greatest obsession in my life right now is that I can own and preserve the cemetery where my people are buried for the past 100 years.杏吧专区 Many of the graves 杏吧专区 he estimated there were no less than 200 people buried there 杏吧专区 were without 杏吧专区渕arks,杏吧专区 or tombstones.
Kathleen Thames, the article杏吧专区檚 author, wrote: 杏吧专区淭here was a time when Gaines wanted his own epitaph to state, 杏吧专区楬e was a good man who wrote well.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淚 think I杏吧专区檝e changed that to, 杏吧专区楾o lie with those who have no marks,杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿 Gaines told her.
In a statement following Gaines杏吧专区 death, 杏吧专区 President Dr. Joseph Savoie cited the author杏吧专区檚 initial wishes for his epitaph, but suggested he was more than a 杏吧专区済ood man who wrote well.杏吧专区
Gaines 杏吧专区渨as also an extraordinary and inspiring figure in the American literary landscape,杏吧专区 Savoie said. 杏吧专区淗e was a believer in the power of words to inspire unflinching, honest conversations about painful corners of our collective past.杏吧专区
The 杏吧专区 remembered Gaines during a public memorial service Monday in Edith Garland Dupr茅 Library, the home of the . The center holds many of his first-edition works and original manuscripts.
After Gaines杏吧专区 died, the center eulogized its namesake as 杏吧专区渁 towering man with a gentle voice杏吧专区 and an 杏吧专区渋nspiration.杏吧专区
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hall Davis and Sons, 9348 Scenic Highway in Baton Rouge. Gaines杏吧专区 family will receive visitors at the funeral home from 4-6 p.m. Friday and from noon to 1 p.m. on the day of the services.
Following the 1994 La Louisiane profile, Gaines purchased the cemetery where his ancestors are interred. He bought and moved Mount Zion Baptist Church to the property as well.
He杏吧专区檒l be buried there Saturday among those who have no marks.
Photo credit: The Ernest J. Gaines Center / 杏吧专区