i write about small towns because i 'm a small-town boy ( although not an island boy , i hasten to add ; when i write about little tall , i write as an outsider ) , and most of my small-town tales those of jerusalem 's lot , those of castle rock , those of little tall island owe a debt to mark twain ( `` the man that corrupted hadleyburg '' ) and nathaniel hawthorne ( `` young goodman brown '' ) .