William Sydney Porter better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. He is known primarily for his short stories and his surprise endings, which often have a touch of irony or humor. His stories often focus on the lives of ordinary people in New York City.
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1862 during the American Civil War. He changed the spelling of his middle name to Sydney in 1898. William Porter’s parents were Algernon Sidney Porter a physician, and Mary Jane. When William was just three years old, his mother passed away after giving birth to her third child and he and his father moved to live with his paternal grandmother. During his childhood, Porter had a strong passion for reading, devouring a wide range of literature from classics to novels. His most cherished literary works included Lane’s translation of One Thousand and One Nights and Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy.
Porter completed his elementary education at his aunt Evelina Maria Porter’s school in 1876 and later attended Lindsey Street High School. His aunt continued to serve as his tutor until he reached the age of 15 and began working at his uncle’s pharmacy in Greensboro. In 1881, at the age of 19, Porter obtained his pharmacist’s license.
During his time as a young bachelor, Porter enjoyed an active social life in Austin. He gained a reputation for his sharp wit, engaging storytelling, and musical talents, being proficient in playing both the guitar and mandolin. Additionally, he was an active member of the choir at St. David’s Episcopal Church and joined the “Hill City Quartette,” a group of young men who entertained at gatherings and serenaded the town’s young women.
In his romantic life, Porter initiated a courtship with Athol Estes, who was 17 years old and from a prosperous family. Athol’s mother disapproved of their union due to Athol’s illness (tuberculosis). On July 1, 1887, Porter and Athol eloped and were married.
Porter’s close friend, Richard Hall, held the position of Texas Land Commissioner and extended an offer to Porter for a job. On January 12, 1887, Porter accepted the position, initially working as a draftsman at the Texas General Land Office (GLO). His monthly salary was set at $100, which was sufficient to support his family. However, he continued to contribute his writings to magazines and newspapers. Porter resigned from his GLO position on January 21, 1891, immediately following the inauguration of the new governor, Jim Hogg.
During the same year, Porter secured a job at the First National Bank of Austin. In 1894, he faced allegations of embezzlement by the bank, resulting in his termination from his job. However, he was not formally indicted at that time.
Following his departure from the bank, Porter shifted his focus to working full-time on his humorous weekly publication known as The Rolling Stone. The Rolling Stone faced financial difficulties and ultimately ceased publication in April 1895 due to its inability to generate sufficient income. Nevertheless, Porter’s writing and illustrations garnered the attention of the editor at the Houston Post.
In 1895, Porter and his family relocated to Houston, where he began writing for the Houston Post. His initial salary was modest, at only $25 per month. Porter had a unique method for gathering ideas for his columns; he would spend time in hotel lobbies, observing and engaging in conversations with people, a technique he continued to employ throughout his writing career. Porter faced a federal indictment and was arrested on charges of embezzlement of the First National Bank of Austin.
After his arrest, he decided to flee, Porter resided in Honduras for approximately six months, until January 1897. During his time there, he struck up an unlikely friendship with Al Jennings, a notorious train robber, who later penned a book about their camaraderie. Porter stayed in a hotel in Trujillo, where he worked on his writing, including the creation of “Cabbages and Kings.” Then he received word of his wife’s terminal condition, Porter returned to Austin in February 1897 and surrendered to the court, awaiting trial. Athol Estes Porter ultimately succumbed to tuberculosis on July 25, 1897.
On February 17, 1898, he was found guilty of embezzling $854.08. He received a five-year prison sentence and was incarcerated on March 25, 1898, at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. Thanks to his pharmacist’s license, Porter was permitted to work in the prison hospital as the night druggist. During his time behind bars, Porter managed to have 14 stories published under various pseudonyms. However, he was becoming best known as “O. Henry,” a pseudonym that made its debut with the story “Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking” in the December 1899 issue of McClure’s Magazine.
Porter’s imprisonment ended on July 24, 1901, due to his good behavior, after serving three years. He reunited with his daughter Margaret, who was now 11 years old, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Porter’s most prolific period of writing commenced in 1902 when he relocated to New York City. During this time, he produced an impressive total of 381 short stories. He even took on the challenge of writing a story every week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His readers greatly appreciated his clever wit, well-crafted characters, and unexpected plot twists, although these qualities often drew criticism from literary critics.
In 1907, Porter entered into a second marriage with his childhood sweetheart, Sarah (Sallie) Lindsey Coleman. Coleman was herself a writer and wrote a romanticized and fictionalized version of their correspondence and courtship in her novella “Wind of Destiny”.
Unfortunately, Porter struggled with heavy drinking, and by 1908, his deteriorating health began to impact his writing. In 1909, Sarah left him, and on June 5, 1910, Porter passed away due to cirrhosis of the liver, complications stemming from diabetes, and an enlarged heart. Porter was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.
In his time, O. Henry was often likened to the French naturalist Guy de Maupassant, whose works similarly delved into the struggles of ordinary people and often concluded with unexpected plot developments. His literary legacy includes collections of short stories like “Cabbages and Kings” and “The Four Million.”
O. Henry’s final work, a short story titled “Dream,” intended for publication in The Cosmopolitan magazine, was never completed, marking the end of his prolific writing career.
One notable part of his legacy is the O. Henry Award, an esteemed annual prize recognizing exceptional short stories. These awards honor and celebrate the tradition of skillful storytelling, a hallmark of O. Henry’s own work, and continue to be a prestigious accolade in the field of short fiction.
Some of O. Henry’s most famous stories include:
“The Gift of the Magi” (1905): A young couple sells their most prized possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts.
“The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907): Two crooks kidnap a young boy, but he turns out to be more trouble than they bargained for.
“The Cop and the Anthem” (1906): A homeless man tries to get arrested so he can have a warm place to sleep.
“The Clarion Call” (1907): A man who has lost his job and his home decides to start a new life.
“The Last Leaf” (1908): An old woman is dying of pneumonia, but a young artist saves her life by painting a leaf on her window.
William Sydney Porter, known by his pen name O. Henry had a strong affection for his contemporary era, the early 20th century. He had a particular fondness for New York City, often referring to it as “Bagdad-on-the-Subway.” Many of his stories are set in this bustling metropolis, capturing the essence of urban life. O. Henry’s stories frequently revolve around working-class characters, including policemen, waitresses, as well as criminals, and societal outsiders. His narrative style often featured unexpected twist endings, keeping readers engaged and surprised.
O. Henry’s stories have been adapted into films, television shows, and stage productions. He is considered one of the greatest short story writers of all time. His writing style and storytelling continue to be appreciated by readers and are considered classics of American literature.