Thurgood Marshall's is the quintessential American story.

His story is the quintessential American story.

The documentary is a quintessential American story about a salesman/hustler who creates a one-man television network called "Hood News."

With "The Sopranos," David Chase made Italian-Americans the stars of the quintessential American story.

Bob Menendez's story is a quintessential American story.

It may not be the quintessential tabloid story but it's close.

"It's the quintessential rags-to-riches American story," said Alan Swyer, a screenwriter from Santa Monica, Calif., and a rabid sports fan.

She was an inspiration to women, and a quintessential American story of perseverance as significant in some ways as Jackie Robinson's.

That's why it's a quintessential story.

Bob Dole's quitting the Senate is the quintessential Washington political story, and the Washington press corps, starved for subject matter ever since Pat Buchanan retired from the field of battle, pounced on it as though it mattered to the rest of the country.