Writer celebrated where life imitated art

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine, Aug. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service honored Sarah Orne Jewett with a stamp today at the Sarah Orne Jewett Literary House in the town she would call home her entire life. The stamp features an original portrait of the author with the Maine coast as background and a ray of sunshine, evoking a scene from her best-known work, "The Country of the Pointed Firs."

"Sarah Orne Jewett is the premier historical icon of South Berwick, and her writings captured 19th-century New England life. I have personally read her moving work and it is an honor to have her stamp unveiled in our community today," said South Berwick Postmaster Matthew Kirksey. "This stamp proudly ensures her timeless literary legacy continues to resonate across the nation and right here at home."

The stamp is the 35th in the Literary Arts series and honors Jewett (1849-1909) as a foundational figure in American literary regionalism.

Through her fiction and essays, Jewett provided intimate portrayals of her characters and of the New England landscape and culture that shaped them. She sought to highlight the positive spirit of the region, an enduring model of harmony between individualism and communal values.

Jewett began publishing before age 20 and was firmly established as a writer by 1880. Although a 1902 accident ended her writing career, she continued to mentor younger writers, notably Willa Cather. She published hundreds of short stories, poetry, essays and some 18 novels in her lifetime. Her strong female characters have led to a renewed interest in her work.

Sarah Orne Jewett is a nondenominated, 3-ounce rate stamp. The words "THREE OUNCE" indicate its usage value. It is available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com.

Like a Forever stamp, it will always be valid for the rate printed on it.

Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with art by Mark Summers.

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon. Additional information on stamps, first-day-of-issue ceremonies and stamp-inspired products can be found at stampsforever.com.

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National contact: Leisha Palmore-Drummond
leisha.i.palmore-drummond@usps.gov
usps.com/news

Local contact: Mark Lawrence
mark.e.lawrence@usps.gov
usps.com/news

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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service