O. Henry

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O. Henry

• Jason Sternin
• Hannah Stryker
• Andy Corbran

2
O. Henry

• O.Henry was the pen name of the American writer
  William Sydney Porter.
• O. Henrys stories are know for their wit,
  wordplay, warm characterization, and clever twist
  endings.

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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 (18331865)

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Early Life Contd

• 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.

5
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
  Porters mother.
• They were married on July 1, 1886

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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

7
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.

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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.

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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
  Athols parents moved while he was in jail.

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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.

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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.

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• 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.

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Bibliography

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