From the USPS on October 29, 2025:

The 35th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909), a lifelong resident of Maine and a foundational figure in American literary regionalism. Her strong female characters have led to a renewed interest in her work, which includes hundreds of short stories as well as novels, poetry and essays. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an original portrait of Jewett by Mark Summers, with the Maine coast as background, broken by a large ray of sunshine that evokes a scene from her best-known novel, “The Country of the Pointed Firs” (1896).

More details will be posted below the line, with the most recent information at the top.

Updated July 15^th:

From the Postal Bulletin:
On August 21, 2026, in South Berwick, ME, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Sarah Orne Jewett stamp (priced at the Non-denominated, Three-Ounce Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 130200). This stamp will go on sale nationwide August 21, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

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. The stamp features an original portrait of Jewett 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. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with art by Mark Summers.

No automatic distribution.

There is a “special” (local) postmark for this issue.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
The first-day-of-issue postmark is a postmark notating the day a stamp is first authorized for use by the Postal Service. Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. All requests for first-day-of-issue postmarks (Traditional or Digital Color Postmark) must be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by December 21, 2026.

FDOI – Sarah Orne Jewett Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sarah Orne Jewett Stamp
Item Number: 130200
Denomination &
Type of Issue: Three Ounce Rate, Non-denominated, Mail Use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Literary Arts
Issue Date & City: August 21, 2026, South Berwick, ME 03908
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Mark Summers, Waterdown, Ontario, Canada
Modeler: Daryl DeMont
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 5,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag Applied
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 123C
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 Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: LITERARY ARTS • 35TH IN A SERIES • Plate number in four corners
Back: © 2025 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (130200) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.95″ x 1.50″The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.74″ x 1.14″The “special” postmark measures 2.75″ x 1.22″

Updated June 29^th:
This stamp will be issued August 21 in South Berwick, Maine, with a local, not HQ, first-day ceremony. The Jewett-Eastman House is located there. Wikipedia.