O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910). O. Henrys short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. Fundamentally a product of his time, his work provides one of the best examples of catching the entire flavour of an age written in the English language. 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. His health began to deteriorate in 1908, which affected his writing. He died on June 5, 1910, of cirrhosis of the liver, complications of diabetes and an enlarged heart.