The herald., 1914-12-31
HOW O. HENRY CHOSE
HIS FAMOUS PEN NAME.

Speaking Of his start as an author,
O. Henry (Sydney Porter said 10
reporter: Il went to New Orleans and
took up literary work in earnest.
sent stories TO newspapers. weeklieS
and magazines all over the country
Reflections: Lordy. | should say ! did
have reflections. but ! never took them
to heart. just stuck new stamps Oh
the stories and sent them out again
And in their journcying to and fro all
the stories finally landed in offices
where they found a welcome. | can
say that | never wrote anything that.
sooner or later, hasn't been accepted.
"As for reflections. take The Eman-
cipation of Billy as good story as
| ever wrote. 1t was rejected no less
than thirteen times. But, like all the
rest, it finally landed.
at was during these New Orleans
days that | adopted my pen name of
o. Henry. said 10 friend: I'm going
to send out some stuff. | don't know
if it amounts to much. so want to
get literary alias Help me pick out
a good one He suggested that we get
a newspaper and pick name from the
first list of nOtableS that we found in
it. In the society columns we found
the account of fashionable ball. Here
We have our nOtables, said he. We
looked down the list. and my eye light
ed on the name Henry. Thatll do for
last name said |. Now for a first
name. | want something short None
of your three syllable names for me-
Why don't you use plain initial let
ter, then? asked my friend. Good.
said l. % is about the easiest letter
written. and . it is
"A newspaper once wrote and asked
me what the o stands for. | replied.
% stands for Olivier. the French for
Oliver And several of my stories ac-
cordingly appeared in that paper un-
der the name Olivier Henry.
After drifting about the country !
finally (, ne to New York Gilman
azine, wrote me saying that if would
come to New York he would agree to
take 5000 worth of stories annually
at the rate of 500 a story. This was
at a time when my name had no mar
ket value.
Yes; since | came to New York my
| prices have gore Up. ! now get $50
| for a story that | would have been
glad to get $50 for in my Pittsburgh
| days.
Editors are just like other mer.
chants-they want to buy at lowest
prices. A few years ago was selling
| stories to a certain magazine at the
/ rate of ) cents n word. l thought
| there was a chance that | might get
more, so | boldly asked the editor for
| 10 cents a word. All right said he;
I'll pay it He was just waiting to
be asked"
Il get a story thoroughly in mind be
| fore | sit down at my writing table.
Then l write it out quickly and with
out revising it mail it to the editor. In
this way am able to judge my stories
as the public judges them. I've seen
stories In print that l wouldn't recog.
nize as my own.
Yes. l get dry spells. Sometimes
can't turn out a thing for three months
When one of these spells comes on
quit trying to work and go out and see
something of life. You can't write a
story that's got any life in it by sitting
at a writing table and thinking. You've
got to get out into the streets, into the
crowds. talk with people and feel the
rush and throb of real life-that's the
stimulant for a story writer.
when l first came to New York
spent a great deal of time knocking
around the streets. | did things then
that l wouldn't think of doing now.
used to walk at all hours of the day
and night along the river fronts
through Hell's Kitchen. down the Bow
cry, dropping into all manner of places
and talking with any one who would
hold converse with me. l have never
met any one yet from whom l could
not learn something. He's had some
experiences that | have not had; be
sees the world from his own viewpoint
But whatever else you do don't fash g
pencil and notebook. Either he will shu
up or he will become a Hall Caine."