•  City Life (1970) is Donald Barthelme’s third book of short stories. Barthelme was Powell’s writing mentor when Powell was studying for his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing.

•  The Sound and the Fury (1929), by William Faulkner, is a southern Gothic novel about the decline of the Compson family from southern nobility to vice-riddled tragedy, told in the stream-of-consciousness style.

•  Set in South Carolina, Edisto (1984) is Powell’s first novel, a coming-of-age story about Simons Manigault. Edisto garnered Powell much critical acclaim and remains a popular book.

•  Typical (1991) is Powell’s first collection of short stories. It features Powell’s humor, lush language, and weird characters. The title story was selected for The Best American Short Stories 1990.

•  The...