The Story Cycle Novel examines this major literary form as a genre that serves as a powerful alternative to other literary mappings of the United States in the 20th century. Authors and texts include: Jewett, The Country of the Pointed Firs; Chesnutt, The Conjure Woman; Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio; Toomer, Cane; Faulkner, Go Down, Moses; Welty, The Golden Apples; and Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men.  Additional authors include: Porter, O’Connor, Erdrich, and Suzan-Lori Parks.