Winesburg Ohio is a 1919 short story cycle by Sherwood Anderson about the fictional community of Winesburg, Ohio, loosely centering on the coming of age of George Willard. Though written from a third-person omniscient perspective, the narrative style is somewhat experimental, fracturing and addressing the reader directly. The stories focus on themes of coming of age, alienation and loneliness. The story of George Willard chronicles his experiences as a child, continuing through his artistic maturation and eventual abandonment of the town.