O. Henry

O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, an American writer best known for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His stories, including "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief", are known for their witty narration and surprise endings, and he also wrote the novel Cabbages and Kings, in which he coined the term "banana republic". Porter died in 1910, after years of deteriorating health.