The stamp geek in me comes out to blog

Coming out on the heels of Lei day, I found out this morning that a new postage stamp will feature a well-known author adorned with a lei. From usps.com:

On May 12, 2008, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ will issue a 59–cent, James A. Michener definitive stamp. This stamp in the Distinguished Americans series honors James A. Michener who is best remembered for his novels, often multigenerational sagas that focus on the history of a specific place while spanning vast periods of time.

Designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, and created by Mark Summers, the stamp art is based on a photograph of Michener from the late 1970s. In both the photograph and the stamp art, Michener is shown wearing a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

The Duke statue in Waikiki may be adorned with lei 24/7, but he didn't get one in his stamp. From surfingmuseum.org:

This stamp honors Hawaiian swimmer, surfer and Olympic Games gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku, who was renowned not only for his athletic prowess but also for his grace, humility and good sportsmanship. He is widely considered to be the father of international surfing, and for much of his life he served as a living symbol of hospitality and goodwill to the rest of the world. The portrait on the 2002 stamp, an oil painting by Michael J. Deas, is based on a 1918 photograph from the collection of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Visible in the background are depictions of Diamond Head and two surfers riding a wave at Waikiki Beach.