Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

When I read Settin' the Woods on Fire in class, Brianna said it reminded her of Flannery O'Connor, and Gavin heartily agreed. So I checked out some Flannery, and I can understand some of the comparison: Southern Gothic feel, with religious undertones. All right, I'll buy it enough to go as far as to say, I hope no one thought I read O'Connor and then wrote my story!