Light the Towers

This thesis is a collection of connected short stories, set in the United States during the years 2054 - 2058, following a failed military coup. Throughout the collection, characters grapple with guilt, betrayal, uncertainty, and shaken faith in the wake of national tragedy and unrest. The stories explore a range of perspectives: the young and the old, the rebel and the federalist, the traitor and the true, the powerful and the weak. Music and poetry permeate the collection, as do light and its absence. These motifs penetrate beyond the surface-level differences of the characters, illuminating the humanity of each