O. Henry was one of the great masters of short story – who wrote more than 600 stories. O. Henry is a pseudonym, the author’s real name was William Sydney Porter. While serving a five years jail term, he nurtured his love for writing; one of his cellmates gave him the plot for “A Retrieved Reformation”, which Paul Armstrong later dramatized under the title of Alias Jimmy Valentine. It turned out to be a terrific hit! More success was to follow O. Henry because his mind and pen flowed easily and rapidly. His most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City to be near his publishers. While there, he wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine.
O. Henry was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1862. He died of tuberculosis at forty-eight. His dying words were: Pull up the shades so I can see New York. I don’t want to go home in the dark.
Geeta Chhabra
