Author Description

Twenty stories by William Sydney Porter (alias O. Henry), the beloved master of the short story known for his wordplay, wit and the delightful twists at the conclusion of so many of his stories. each story herein is selected to represent a particular holiday, from New Year's Day at the start of January all the way through to Christmas in late December. Included in the collection are some of O. Henry's best known stories ("The Gift of the Magi" & "The Ransom of Red Chief"), his most critically acclaimed ("A Municipal Report" & "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen") the humorous ("Cupid à la Carte") sentimental ("The Church with an Overshot Wheel") as well as the original periodical versions of "The Shamrock and the Palm" and "The Flag Paramount" (before being subsumed into O. Henry's lone novel Cabbages & Kings). Additionally, three short holiday sketches that porter wrote whilst at the Houston Daily post (1895-96) are included. In an introductory essay, editor Michael Wenzel explains his selections, from the obvious to the counter-intuitive, and provides interesting details about the backstories of the stories selected for inclusion. --