Category: O. Henry

O. Henry was the pen name used by William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), a popular American author known for his witty and ironic short stories. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Porter had an unsettled early life as he moved from one job to another after dropping out of school at 15. Working as a banker, draftsman, and journalist, among other trades, his life took a fateful turn when he was accused and convicted of embezzlement in 1894, leading to his imprisonment for 3 years.

While in prison, Porter began writing short stories to earn money to support his young daughter. Drawing on his diverse life experiences and lively imagination, he set many of his stories in New York City and used clever plot twists and surprise endings, his trademark narrative devices. His first story collection, Cabbages and Kings, was published in 1904 under the pseudonym O. Henry. Extremely prolific, in the subsequent 6 years before his untimely death from cirrhosis of the liver, O. Henry published nearly 600 stories and gained immense popularity.

His best known stories include classics like “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “The Cop and the Anthem,” and “The Furnished Room.” Collected in volumes like The Four Million and Sixes and Sevens, O. Henry’s stories realistically depict everyday people’s lives with humor and optimistic charm. With clever wordplay and warm, vibrant characters, his enduring short fiction leaves a legacy of not just brilliant plotting but also an appreciation for all of humanity. The O. Henry Award was established after his death to honor outstanding short stories each year.

A SERVICE OF LOVE by O. Henry

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Every Writer

A SERVICE OF LOVE by O. Henry When one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard.

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Every Writer

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few.

The Skylight Room by O.Henry

Posted on November 11, 2023November 11, 2023 by Every Writer

The Skylight Room by O.Henry First Mrs. Parker would show you the double parlours. You would not dare to interrupt

Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O.Henry

Posted on November 8, 2023December 7, 2023 by Every Writer

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to.

From the Cabby’s Seat by O.Henry

Posted on November 7, 2023December 7, 2023 by Every Writer

The cabby has his point of view. It is more single-minded, perhaps, than that of a follower of any other calling. From the high, swaying seat of his hansom

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

Posted on November 30, 2017December 28, 2017 by Every Writer

The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony

The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry

Posted on August 10, 2017December 7, 2023 by Every Writer

“O. Henry” was the pen name adopted by William Sydney Porter. He began his short story career by contributing Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking to McClure’s Magazine in 1899.

The Ferry of Unfulfilment by O.Henry

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Every Writer

The Ferry of Unfulfilment by O.Henry At the street corner, as solid as granite in the “rush-hour” tide of humanity,

The Last Leaf by O’Henry

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Every Writer

The Last Leaf by O’Henry In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and broken

The Purple Dress by O. Henry

Posted on March 13, 2011March 13, 2011 by Every Writer

The Purple Dress by O. Henry ? We are to consider the shade known as purple. It is a color

THE POET AND THE PEASANT by O.Henry

Posted on August 21, 2010December 7, 2023 by Every Writer

THE POET AND THE PEASANT by O.Henry The other day a poet friend of mine, who has lived in close

WITCHES’ LOAVES by O’Henry

Posted on May 26, 2010December 8, 2023 by Every Writer

WITCHES’ LOAVES by O’Henry Miss Martha Meacham kept the little bakery on the corner (the one where you go up