William Sydney Porter ( )

O Henry

Facts on William Sydney Porter  He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood.  Best noted for his short stories with surprise endings, O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, who was regarded as one of the most popular American writers.

O. Henry was an American writer in the late 19th century. His real name was William Sidney Porter and O. Henry was his pen name. He wrote many short stories, which were set in New York.

The plots of his stories are clever and interesting, and the end is always surprising. Most of the characters in his stories are ordinary people in cities. His works include The Four Million, The Gift of the Magi, The Furnished Room and so on.

Facts on William Sydney Porter  As a young man, he once worked as a bank teller, a newspaper columnist and so on. In 1898, he was accused of having taken money from the bank where he had worked, and later was put in prison for five years. While in prison, he began writing short stories and it is there that he took the pen-name O Henry for his writings.

 “A sacrifice for love ” is part of the story The Gift of the Magi which took O. Henry only three hours but is popular for a whole century or more. O. Henry’s stories are known for his descriptions of poor working characters, a humorous and ironic tone, realistic detail and a surprise  ending.

What main elements there should be in a story / narrative ? Characters Time Place Event Ending

Facts on William Sydney Porter  An acclaimed master of short stories and tales.  Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post.  In early 1898 Porter was found guilty of embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison.  Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity.

Facts on William Sydney Porter  O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on his first-hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City.  In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West.  He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer.  Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless.

Published Books by O. Henry  After Twenty Years & Other Stories. Edited by Masat C. Nakauchi. Tokyo: Kenkyusha,  The Best of O. Henry. Philadelphia: Running Press,  Cabbages and Kings. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Four Million. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Gift of the Magi. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1922.

Published Books by O. Henry  Let Me Feel Your Pulse. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co.,  Options. New York: Harper & Brothers,  Postscripts. New York: Harper & Brothers,  Tales of O. Henry. Garden City, N.Y.: International Collectors Library,  The Trimmed Lamp, and Other Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Voice of the City. New York: McClure, 1908.

O. Henry Besides descriptions what techniques does a good writer usually use in a narrative? Literature way of writing Exaggeration Humor Irony … Can you find out some of the techniques O. Henry use?

Facts on William Sydney Porter  He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood.  An acclaimed master of short stories and tales.  Starting in 1895 he wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post.  In early 1898 Porter was found guilty of embezzlement charges and sentenced to five years in an Ohio prison.  Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity.

Facts on William Sydney Porter  O. Henry wrote with realistic detail based on his first-hand experiences both in Texas and in New York City.  In 1907, he published many of his Texas stories in The Heart of the West.  He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer.  Porter died on June 5, 1910 in New York City at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless.

Published Books by O. Henry  After Twenty Years & Other Stories. Edited by Masat C. Nakauchi. Tokyo: Kenkyusha,  The Best of O. Henry. Philadelphia: Running Press,  Cabbages and Kings. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Four Million. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Gift of the Magi. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1922.

Published Books by O. Henry  Let Me Feel Your Pulse. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co.,  Options. New York: Harper & Brothers,  Postscripts. New York: Harper & Brothers,  Tales of O. Henry. Garden City, N.Y.: International Collectors Library,  The Trimmed Lamp, and Other Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.,  The Voice of the City. New York: McClure, 1908.

O”HENRY MUSEUM

Museum Hours 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday - Sunday Closed Monday and Tuesday 409 East Fifth Street Austin, Texas (512)

Critic says:  Prolific American short-story writer, a master of surprise endings, who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. Typical for O. Henry's stories is a twist of plot which turns on an ironic or coincidental circumstance. Although some critics were not so enthusiastic about his work, the public loved it.

 "He wrote love stories, a thing I have always kept free from, holding the belief that the well-known and popular sentiment is not properly matter for publication, but something to be privately handled by the alienist and the florist." (from 'The Plutonian Fire')

Literary Terms for focus:  Short Story  Style

What is a Short Story?  The short story is a form of short fictional narrative prose. Short stories tend to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction, such as novels. Because of their short length, successful short stories also rely even more than longer fictional forms on such literary devices as character, plot, theme, language, and insight.

STYLE  style  1. The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed: a style of speech and writing.  2. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.  3. Sort; type: a style of furniture.  4. A quality of imagination and individuality expressed in one's actions and tastes: does things with style.

Discussion:  Describe if you were surprised by the ending of the story. Do you agree with the critics?