I Bought a Little City by Donald Barthelme (1974)

 The narrator of this story has bought a little city – Galveston, in Texas. At first he says he'll only change things gradually, but he soon comes to resemble something more like a despot as events spiral out of control. As funny as it outrageous this story, first published in the New Yorker, is a cautionary tale about control and ambition with plenty left to tell us about today.

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