O. Henry

Jason Sternin

Hannah Stryker

Andy Corbran

O. Henry

• O.Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter.

• O. Henry’s stories are know for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and clever twist endings.

Early Life

• William Sydney Porter was born on September 11th, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

• He was born with the middle name “Sidney” and he changed the spelling to “Sydney” in 1898.

• His parents were Dr. Algernon Porter (1825-1888) and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim Porter (1833–1865)

Early Life Cont’d

• When he was 3, his mother died from tuberculosis.

• He and his father moved in with their grandmother.

• Porter loved reading. He read everything from classics to dime novels.

Move to Texas

• Moved to Texas in March of 1882 hoping the air would relieve a cough he had developed.

• Met and began dating Athol Estes.

• She was suffering from tuberculosis, just like Porter’s mother.

• They were married on July 1, 1886

Family

• He had a son who died shortly after his birth in 1888

• His wife gave birth to a daughter, Margaret Worth Porter in September 1889

• Porter and his family moved to Houston is 1895

Sick Wife

• In 1896 he and his family moved to Honduras. He sent his wife and daughter back to live with her mother because she was ill.

• He planned to have her visit, but she became too sick to make the trip. He then moved back to Austin to be with his family.

And it all goes Downhill…

• Athol Estes Porter died on July 25, 1897 from tuberculosis.

• Porter was found guilty of embezzlement in February of 1898. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

• On March 25, 1898 he was imprisoned as a prisoner of the Ohio Penitentiary.

Release from Prison

• Porter was released on July 24, 1901, for good behavior after serving three years

• He was reunited with his daughter who was now 11 years old in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Athol’s parents moved while he was in jail.

Move to NYC

• Porter Moved to NYC in 1902 to be closer to his publishers.

• While there, he wrote 381 short stories.

• In 1907 he married Sarah Lindsey Coleman.

Bad Health

• Despite his success in writing, he drank heavily.

• In 1908 his health took a toll on him, and it was noticeable in his writing.

• Sarah left him in 1909• Porter died on June 5, 1910, of cirrhosis of

the liver, complications of diabetes, and an enlarged heart.

• After his funeral in New York City, he was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.

• His daughter died in 1927 and was buried alongside her father.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry