Literary Birthday – 11 September – O. Henry

O. Henry was born 11 September 1862, and died 5 June 1910.

Seven Quotes

1. Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
2. All of us have to be prevaricators, hypocrites, and liars every day of our lives; otherwise the social structure would fall into pieces the first day. We must act in one another’s presence just as we must wear clothes. It is for the best.
3. The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown fate.
4. I wanted to paint a picture some day that people would stand before and forget that it was made of paint. I wanted it to creep into them like a bar of music and mushroom there like a soft bullet.
5. I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.
6. There are stories in everything. I’ve got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts, and newspaper stands.
7. A good story is like a bitter pill, with the sugar coating inside of it.

O. Henry, born William Sydney Porter, was an American writer. He is the author of The Gift of the Magi. His short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterisation, and clever twist endings. The O. Henry Award is a prestigious annual prize named after Porter and given for outstanding short stories.

Source for Image: W.M. Vanderweyde, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Sydney_Porter_by_doubleday.jpg

by Amanda Patterson

Please click here for our Literary Birthday Calendar