Publisher Description
Many of O. Henry’s stories describe cultural issues of the day, and many incorporate themes relevant to our modern times. This anthology was specially selected for this purpose. It includes the story performances and introduces the telling of each story by describing its relevance and explaining some of the references that might not be familiar to modern-day audiences.
Opening Credits
Anthology Introduction
“The Guilty Party” (19:10)—O. Henry’s opinion on violent crimes committed by minors
“A Municipal Report” (51:39)—A character’s evolution of thinking on race
“Elsie in New York” (23:29)—Exploitation of women
“The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes” (15:27)—A fun poke at the Sherlock Holmes stories
“The Hiding of Black Bill” (35:52)—A story about the limits of trust and friendship
“Vanity and Some Sables” (18:27)—Image consciousness analogous to social media
“The Trimmed Lamp” (33.29)—Social competition, again analogous to social media
“The Duplicity of Hargraves” (38:46)—Honor, image, and defeating racist stereotypes
“Past One at Rooney’s” (37:29)—A story of love at first sight, in spite of initial deception
“Shearing the Wolf” (17:06)—One good con deserves another
“The Gift of the Magi” (16:40)—A classic tale of faith, love, and generosity
“The Ransom of Red Chief” (30:39)—Boy outplays his kidnappers
“The Cop And The Anthem” (19:08)—One man’s solution to homelessness
“Memoirs Of A Yellow Dog” (14:34)—Loving dogs, then as now
“The Last Leaf” (20:21)—A story of faith, generosity, and sacrifice, helping a young woman overcome a deadly illness
Closing Credits
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About the Authors
O. Henry (1862–1910), born William Sydney Porter in Greensboro, North Carolina, was a short-story writer whose tales romanticized the commonplace, in particular, the lives of ordinary people in New York City. His stories often had surprise endings, a device that became identified with his name. He began writing sketches around 1887, and his stories of adventure in the Southwest United States and in Central America were immediately popular with magazine readers.
Jim Patton is a professional voice actor and audiobook narrator recording from his home studio in Las Vegas. He has extensive experience in audio drama, loves voicing a variety of characters, and takes pride in the oral tradition of narrator as storyteller versus narrator as copy reader.