Announced October 23, 2023:
The 34th issuance in the Literary Arts series honors novelist Saul Bellow (1915-2005). Winner of three National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize, Bellow is widely regarded as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. The stamp art is a portrait of Bellow in pen, ink and watercolor based on photographs from 1982. In the background is a street scene of Chicago, where he lived most of his life. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the 3- ounce stamp with original art by Joe Ciardiello.
Further information will be posted below the line, with the newest information at the top.
Updated April 1st:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5831.
From the Postal Bulletin:
On February 6, 2024, in Chicago, IL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Saul Bellow stamp (priced at the Non-denominated, 3-ounce Mail Rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 122900). This stamp will go on sale nationwide, February 6, 2024, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
The 34th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors novelist Saul Bellow (1915–2005). Winner of three National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize, Bellow is widely regarded as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. The stamp art is a pen and ink and watercolor portrait of Bellow based on photographs from 1982. In the background is a street scene in Chicago, where he lived most of his life. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with original art by Joe Ciardiello.
No automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail® requirements. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
FDOI – Saul Bellow Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by June 6, 2024.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Saul Bellow Stamp
Item Number: 122900
Denomination & Type of Issue: 3-ounce Rate, Non-denominated, Mail Use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Literary Arts
Issue Date & City: February 6, 2024, Chicago, IL 60607
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Illustrator: Joe Ciardiello, Milford, NJ
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 8,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 259C
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.4200 x 0.8400 in. / 36.0680 x 21.3360 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.5600 x 0.9800 in. / 39.6240 x 24.8920 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.2400 x 5.9200 in. / 183.8960 x 150.3680 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: © 2023 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (122900) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text
Updated January 31st:
As reported by John Peterson of the American Ceremony Program Society, the University of Chicago is holding a first-day ceremony for this stamp honoring its former professor. It will be at 11:00 am on its Hyde Park Campus. Details and registration can be found at this link. Although USPS officials will participate, this is not considered a “Headquarters” (-arranged) ceremony.
Updated December 30th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.16″ x 1.17″ 
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.59″ x 1.02″
Updated November 30th:
This stamp will be issued Tuesday, February 6, in Chicago, without a “headquarters” first-day ceremony.
Does anyone know if the 3oz rate will be going up as well? And if so, to what?
Three Ounce will go up 2 cents, First Ounce .66 => .68, Second and Third ounce remain 24 cents, so … $1.16. Get your 3oz Forever stamps Before then and pay the current price. ( the same as any other FOREVER stamp… )
USPS# 1229xx #04 Pn-20 $23.20, #16 PIC FDoI $1.71, #21 DCP $2.56.
Saul Bellow looks nothing like this in any photographs I’ve seen. Does Joe Ciardiello have something against writers? His art portfolio is pretty good until you get to them and then almost everyone’s eyes are really messed up. Ethel Kessler should’ve requested a revision. Would’ve been a nice stamp design otherwise.
Does the USPS not release technical specifications for all stamps? I can’t find them here or anywhere in the postal bulletin.. Am I just missing it?
I wasn’t thinking. I had to look back at 2023. Sorry.
And I need to go back and add them for this issue!
Just added the technical specifications and other details — catching up.
*Feb. 6, Saul Bellow. One ($1.16) 3-ounce rate stamp, pane of 20, Literary Arts series; BCA; Chicago, IL 60607; Linn’s Feb. 12, page 1; USPS item No. 122904 (pane), 122916 (FDC at $1.71), 122921 (color postmark FDC at $2.56); Scott 5831.