William Sydney Porter (1862 - 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. His stories are known for their surprise endings. Porter's most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City to be near his publishers. While there, he wrote 381 short stories. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His wit, characterization and plot twists were adored by his readers but often panned by critics.
