Sixes and Sevens

by O. Henry

Overview

"Sixes and Sevens" is a collection of humorous short stories by American writer O. Henry. These unrelated tales deal with ordinary people and various ironic and amusing circumstances that they find themselves in, mostly in New York. Highly recommended for all lovers of the short story form. William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 - June 5, 1910), more commonly known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer of short stories., famous for his twists and surprise endings. Other notable works by this author include: "Cabbages and Kings" (1904), "The Four Million" (1906), and "The Voice of the City" (1908). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473374638
Publisher:	Read Books Ltd.
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	296
File size:	491 KB

About the Author

O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short story writer. Born and raised in North Carolina, O. Henry—whose real name was William Sydney Porter—moved to Texas in 1882 in search of work. He met and married Athol Estes in Austin, where he became well known as a musician and socialite. In 1888, Athol gave birth to a son who died soon after, and in 1889 a daughter named Margaret was born. Porter began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin in 1890 and was fired four years later and accused of embezzlement. Afterward, he began publishing a satirical weekly called The Rolling Stone, but in 1895 he was arrested in Houston following an audit of his former employer. While waiting to stand trial, Henry fled to Honduras, where he lived for six months before returning to Texas to surrender himself upon hearing of Athol’s declining health. She died in July of 1897 from tuberculosis, and Porter served three years at the Ohio Penitentiary before moving to Pittsburgh to care for his daughter. While in prison, he began publishing stories under the pseudonym “O. Henry,” finding some success and launching a career that would blossom upon his release with such short stories as “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) and “The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907). He is recognized as one of America’s leading writers of short fiction, and the annual O. Henry Award—which has been won by such writers as William Faulkner, John Updike, and Eudora Welty—remains one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes.