O.Henry – William
Sydney Porter
Find the answers for the first section of questions (1 – 10) at this site:
DISCUS
1. When was William Sydney Porter born and
where?
2. What did his father do for a
living?
3. Who was more dependable – William’s mother or his
father?
4. How old was William when his mother
died?
5. What family member taught William in
“school?”
6. When did he leave school (how old was
he)?
7. What did he do to earn money after leaving
school?
8.
What were the characteristics
of William’s personality when he was a young
person?
9. Although he loved
literature of his own time period mostly, what book set in an earlier time (that
young people still read today) interested him?
10. Where did William move after leaving his
hometown?
Find the answers to
questions 11 - 13 at this site: Museum
11.
After William Sydney Porter moved to
Austin, Texas, what different occupations did he
try?
12.
Why is the cottage pictured at this site a
museum to William Sydney Porter?
13.
What was his first nationally
published short story?
Answers to 14 – 17 will
be found here: DISCUS
2
14.
What crime was
William Sydney Porter convicted of?
15.
Where did he
run?
16.
Why did he return
home?
17. How much time did he serve for his
crime? (This answer varies in different
sources!)
18.
What does this source say is his probably his
most famous story?
At Books and Writers
find these answers:
19.
Why did William Sydney Porter begin
writing short stories at this time of his
life?
20.
What are two versions of how William
Sydney Porter got his pen name?
Read the following selection
to find answers 20 –23: Columbia
Encyclopedia
21.
Where did O.Henry move after
prison?
22.
According to this source, how many
stories did he write? (This answer also varies
according to different sources.)
23.
What are O.Henry’s stories known
for?
Refer again to Books and Writers
to find out:
24.
When did O.Henry die?
25.
What was his “state of affairs” at his
death?