The 35th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909), a foundational figure in American literary regionalism who published hundreds of short stories and some 18 novels, as well as poetry and essays. Often drawing inspiration from people she knew in her Maine village, Jewett created intimate portrayals of her characters and of the landscape and culture that shaped them. In her work she sought to highlight the positive spirit of the region, an enduring model of harmony between individualism and communal values. Her strong female characters have led to a renewed interest in her work.

Jewett began publishing in her late teens, mainly for children. In her first novel, Deephaven (1877) — about two young Boston women who travel to the titular village for a summer of leisure — Jewett paints a realistic portrait of economically pressed seacoast and inland villages, reflecting tensions between rural locals and urban tourists, as well as the cultural heritage preserved in these insular communities. Admired for its subtle and unsentimental descriptions, Deephaven affirms Jewett’s fascination with and reverence for the natural world as much as for the people of her home state.

The Country of the Pointed Firs (1896), Jewett’s second novel and the work for which she is best known, features a city woman who spends a summer in a small coastal town. The fictional Dunnet Landing, with its picturesque scenery and quaint way of life, holds a deep allure for the protagonist and soon distracts her from her mission of completing a writing project. Critically acclaimed, The Country of the Pointed Firs would come to be seen as an American literary masterpiece.

Illustrator Mark Summers was a natural choice for the Sarah Orne Jewett project: he had worked on several previous USPS issuances and, in his long career, has portrayed hundreds of literary figures. For the stamp artwork he decided on a three-quarter-view portrait of Jewett based on an 1894 photograph. He placed her in front of an expanse of rocky Maine coast framed by coniferous trees, evoking the setting of The Country of the Pointed Firs. The ray of sunshine angling from the upper-left corner references a specific scene described in that novel: “The sunburst upon that outermost island made it seem like a sudden revelation of the world beyond this which some believe to be so near.”

Summers created the artwork using his iconic scratchboard technique, characterized by precisely etched black horizontal lines, reminiscent of late 19th-century engraved illustrations. “The scratchboard style is one that the illustrator has perfected and used on most everything I’ve seen of his, in a way that no one else does quite as masterfully,” says art director Ethel Kessler.

To add the color, Summers made an entirely separate piece with watercolor, pastel, and some airbrush. He then printed the black and white version on top of the color version to produce the final artwork.

Jewett’s portraits of New Englanders, both rural and urban, and of the landscapes of her native Maine, left an indelible mark on American literature. “I wanted to really tie her to the age she lived in and to the landscape of Maine,” Summers says.

The words “THREE OUNCE” on this stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever® stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.

Collect all six issuances from the 2026 World Expo