American Short-Story Writer O. Henry Biography

Famous for Short Story Collections including The Four Million

Jul 4, 2009 Tel Asiado

Brief biography of American writer O. Henry, best known for short stories The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf.

American writer O. Henry was regarded to have "humanized the short story." Famous for his surprise endings, the public loved his works. One of his best known collections is The Four Million that includes "The Gift of the Magi."

In recognition of his talent an award was set up in 1918 in his name. The O. Henry Award is given each year to the author of the best story printed in an American magazine.

Brief Biography of O. Henry

William Sidney Porter was the real name of American writer O. Henry. He was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Poorly educated and to make ends meet, he drifted from various odd jobs. In 1882, at the age of 20, he moved to Austin, Texas. He married and worked in a bank while editing a weekly comic paper, The Rolling Stone. It was at this time that he began to drink heavily that affected his health.

In 1894 cash was found to have gone missing from the bank. He was not charged but when it became apparent that investigation was closing in on him in which a federal bank examiner was preparing to press charges, O. Henry fled to Honduras.

The following year, his wife was dying and he was forced to return to Austin, Texas. O. Henry was eventually tried and convicted of stealing the bank's money in 1898.

The Prisoner Turned Prolific Writer

O. Henry served his sentence in Columbus, Ohio. This five-year prison sentence allowed him to focus on his short-story writing. At 36-years-old, he published his first short story in a national magazine during the first year of his sentence.

He had an early release, in 1901, and had moved to New York. By this time, his stories had become popular and he had great readership. Between 1904 and 1905 he wrote prolifically and produced a story each week.

He published numerous collections, such as The Four Million, which includes "The Gift of the Magi" and "Mammon and the Archer" – stories typical of his love of surprise endings. He died in New York at the age of 47, June 5, 1910.

A Quote from O. Henry:

"Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating." ~ O. Henry, "The Gift of the Magi"

Works by O. Henry

• Cabbages and Kings, 1904
• The Four Million, 1906
• The Trimmed Lamp, 1907
• The Heart of the West, 1907
• The Voice of the City, 1908
• The Gentle Grafter, 1908
• Roads of Destiny, 1909
• Options, 1909
• Strictly Business, 1910
• Whirlgigs, 1910

Sources:

• Goring, Rosemary, Ed. Larousse Dictionary of Writers. New York: Larousse, 1994.
• McGovern, Una, Ed. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers / Harrap Publishers, 2002.
• Ousby, Ian. The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

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O. Henry, American Short-Story Writer