O. (Spirit) Henry

Born William Sydney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina, O. Henry worked at a wide mix of jobs before becoming famous as a writer, including time in a drugstore, on a ranch, and in banking. Those experiences fed the sharp eye for ordinary people that gives his stories so much life.

He is especially remembered for short fiction set in New York City, where he wrote about shopgirls, clerks, swindlers, policemen, and dreamers with humor and sympathy. His stories are known for quick pacing, playful language, and surprise endings, but what keeps them fresh is the kindness he often shows toward people getting by on very little.

Among his best-known works are "The Gift of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief," and "The Cop and the Anthem." Though he died in 1910, his storytelling style was so distinctive that the phrase "an O. Henry ending" is still used for a clever final twist.