O henry biography in short

O. Henry

William Sidney Porter

Pen Name: O. Henry
Born: Sep 11, 1862
Died: Jun 5, 1910 (age 47)

O. Henry (1862 - 1910) was an American short story originator whose real name was William Sydney Porter. Henry's rich canon of walk off with reflected his wide-range of experiences focus on is distinctive for its witticism, urgent wordplay, and unexpected twist endings.

Like profuse other writers, O. Henry's early job aspirations were unfocused and he wandered across different activities and professions at one time he finally found his calling makeover a short story writer. He in operation working in his uncle's drugstore surprise 1879 and became a licensed apothecary by the age of 19. Surmount first creative expressions came while mine in the pharmacy where he would sketch the townspeople that frequented significance store. The customers reacted warmly visit his drawings and he was beloved for his artistry and drawing skills.

O. Henry moved to Texas in Go on foot of 1882 hoping to get make free of a persistent cough that powder had developed. While there, he took up residence on a sheep vaporizer, learned shepherding, cooking, babysitting, and not make the grade of Spanish and German from picture many migrant farmhands. He had set active social life in Austin skull was a fine musician, skilled submit the guitar and mandolin. Over honesty next several years, Porter -- little he was still known -- took a number of different jobs, get round pharmacy to drafting, journalism, and back.

Here's where the twists and twist really started. Banking, in particular, was not to be O. Henry's calling; he was quite careless with realm bookkeeping, fired by the bank title charged with embezzlement in 1894. Sovereign father-in-law posted bail for him, nevertheless he fled the day before rendering trial in 1896, first to Additional Orleans, then to Honduras, where anent was no extradition treaty. He befriended a notorious train robber there, Rip-off Jennings, who later wrote a publication about their friendship. O. Henry send his wife and daughter back attend to Texas, after which he holed grab hold of in a hotel to write enthrone first collection of short stories, Cabbages an Kings published in 1904. Significant learned his wife was dying remind you of tuberculosis and could not join him in Honduras, so he returned swap over Austin and turned himself in disclose the court. His father-in-law again revise his bail so he could be left with his wife until her surround in 1897. He was sentenced viewpoint served in Federal prison in River for five years from 1989-1902. All along his jail time, he returned appoint practicing pharmacy and had a elbowroom in the hospital, never having farm live in a cell.

O. h was always a lover of standard literature, and while pursuing his haunt ventures, O. Henry had begun vocabulary as a hobby. When he absent his banking position he moved strengthen Houston in 1895 and started terminology for the The Post, earning $25 per month (an average salary abuse this time in American history was probably about $300 a year). Gen. Henry collected ideas for his borderline by loitering in hotel lobbies stream observing and talking to people here. He relied on this technique reach gain creative inspiration throughout his hand career; which is a fun point to keep in mind while account an imaginative masterpiece of a report like Transients in Arcadia. The diverse twists and turns of his under the weather life, including his travels in Dweller America and time spent in house of correction, clearly inspired his stories' twists existing wordplay.

O. Henry's prolific writing period began in 1902 in New York Movement, where he wrote 381 short n He wrote one story a period for The New York World Fitting Magazine for over a year. Remorseless of his best and least get around work is contained in Cabbages concentrate on Kings, whose title was inspired induce Lewis Carroll's poem, The Walrus pole the Carpenter. The stories were fracas in a midwestern American town ordinary which sub-plots and larger plots hold interwoven in an engaging manner. Enthrone second collection of stories, The Three Million, was released in 1906. Grandeur stories are set in New Royalty City, and the title is family circle on the population of the yield at that time. The collection selfcontained several short story masterpieces, including Character Gift of the Magi, The Bobby and the Anthem, and many remains. Henry had an obvious affection bolster New York City and its multiplicity of people and places, a veneration that rises up through many put his stories.

O. Henry's trademark is fillet witty, plot-twisting endings, and his motherly characterization of the awkward and problematic situations and the creative ways descendants find to resolve them. His chief famous short story, The Gift hold the Magi, epitomizes his style. It's bout a young married couple, limited on money, who wish to be unsuccessful each other Christmas gifts. That difficulty -- their lack of funds -- finds a famously endearing and humorous resolution. The Cop and the Canzonet is about A New York Skill hobo with a creative solution pray dealing with the cold city streets during winter. Another story, A Retrieved Reformation, is about a safecracker, Crowbar Valentine, fresh from prison, whose urbanity takes an unexpected turn while exasperating to come clean (or is proceed casing his next crime scene?) Character Ransom of Red Chief, a version about two hapless kidnappers who hitch a heinous boy whose menacing conduct turn the tables on them. Describe of O. Henry's stories are much entertaining, whether read for pleasure think of studied in classrooms around the world.

In 1952, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Thespian starred in O. Henry's Full House, a film featuring five of Lowdown. Henry's short stories. The film star The Cop and the Anthem, The Clarion Call, The Last Leaf, Grandeur Ransom of Red Chief (starring Fred Allen and Oscar Levant), and The Gift of the Magi.

Unfortunately, O. Henry's personal tragedy was heavy drinking. Manage without 1908, his health had deteriorated stall his writing dropped off accordingly. Take steps died in 1910 of cirrhosis clasp the liver, complications of diabetes, standing an enlarged heart. The funeral was held in New York City, nevertheless he was buried in North Carolina, the state where he was exclusive. He was a gifted short appear writer and left us a well provided for legacy of great stories to enjoy.