William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) By: B. Maki CS255 Project #11 Grade Level: 9-11th Topic: English Language Teaching Time: 1 Class Period CLICK HERE O. HENRY WEB PAGE

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, 1957. The Best of O. Henry. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978. Cabbages and Kings. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904. The Four Million. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1906. 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., 1910. Options. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1909. Postscripts. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1923. Tales of O. Henry. Garden City, N.Y.: International Collectors Library, 1969. The Trimmed Lamp, and Other Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1907. The Voice of the City. New York: McClure, 1908.

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