Biography of American author, Ernest Gaines, well-known for his novels and essays, including The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman and A Gathering of Old Men, both adapted for television.

Enhance your reading of "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" by Ernest Gaines with the help of an author biography, novel introduction, vocabulary lists, and reading-response exercises. After completing the novel, write about the...

Both background about the author and aids to studying "A Lesson Before Dying" are included at this site. Audio clips of conversations with Gaines, and the beginning of the novel are featured.

Classroom issues, comparisons and some themes to explore are offered here as preparation for using Gaines' work in the classroom.

Good for planning purposes, this 4 page .pdf offers background, summary, character analysis and some suggestions for post-reading activities.

Questions and discussion ideas abound in this teacher guide, which also includes significant quotations from the book for discussion and writing.