O. Henry

O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910). O. Henry's short stories are well known for their  clever twist endings.

His whose tales romanticized the commonplace—in particular the life of ordinary people in New York City. His stories expressed the effect of coincidence on character through humour, grim or ironic, and often had surprise endings, a device that became identified with his name and cost him critical favour when its vogue had passed.

Among his most famous stories are:
 "The Gift of the Magi" 
 "The Ransom of Red Chief"
 "A Retrieved Reformation

Other websites




 O. Henry Museum
 Biography and stories 
 Wall Street Journal article on O. Henry

 O. Henry Items on the Portal to Texas History

Category:Writers from North Carolina
Category:Deaths from diabetes
Category:1862 births
Category:1910 deaths
Category:Pen names