o. henry jason sternin hannah stryker andy corbran
TRANSCRIPT
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