Alias O. Henry by Ben Yagoda
Reviewed by James M. Fisher
O. Henry (the alias of William Sydney Porter) is well-known for his short stories with a twist at the end, which The Gift of the Magi so well emphasizes. Porter, a man with a colourful past– and one he was careful to keep under wraps– landed in New York City in 1902 and wrote his short stories for magazines, which were hitting their stride in popularity. People wanted to read short fiction, and Porter was one of the most popular writers of such at the time, able to live off the income his publishers paid.
As mentioned, a shroud of mystery surrounded Porter at the time, and his readers were curious as to who O. Henry really was. Porter was careful to hide the fact that he had served time in a federal prison for embezzlement, as convicts were viewed in less than favourable light at the time.
In this “Author’s Note” Ben Yagoda (who edited a book entitled O. Henry: 101 Stories) mentions that since an excellent biography of Porter already existed (written by Gerald Langford), he decided to use Porter as a character in his own story, which allowed Mr. Yagoda to create the bustling atmosphere of NYC at a time when it was the center of all things in the Western World. There were many colourful characters in Porter’s sphere at the time, such as “Bat” Masterton, Al Jennings, and others. Yagoda admits to only inventing a few fictional characters, and playing with some dates to make the stories fit.
Porter wrote his stories about the various people he encountered in his perambulations around the city, meeting all types of people across all strata of society. He was a keen observer of humankind, and perhaps that is the appeal of his stories. There is a touch of humour, but also a good deal of reality. His stories may seem dated over a century later, but they can still entertain and inform.
Mr. Yagoda does a startling good job of conveying the atmosphere of a big city at work, and the realities of the working poor. There are also travels in and around the city, mostly on foot (Porter was leery of the elevated railway of the day) or by ferry to the outlying islands for a day trip. Consistent is the unfolding story of Porter from living in a rooming house (and the connections he makes there) to more upscale digs as his income increases. We are treated to glimpses of life for the working poor, the destitute conditions of the numerous brothels, and the different clubs that catered to all sorts of whims. There is even an attempt to blackmail Porter regarding his past that threads it’s way through the story until its surprising conclusion.
I truly enjoyed reading Alias O. Henry by Ben Yagoda. Source Notes, and Works Consulted round out this fine addition to any library, particularly those keen on the life of O. Henry/Porter.
About the Author
Ben Yagoda is the author, coauthor, or editor of fourteen books, most recently Gobsmacked!: The British Invasion of American English (Princeton University Press, 2024) and O. Henry: 101 Stories (Library of America, 2021). He has written about language, writing, and many other topics for the New Yorker, New York Times Book Review and Magazine, Slate, The American Scholar, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and publications that start with every letter of the alphabet except X and Z. Yagoda has been awarded Guggenheim and MacDowell Fellowships to support his writing about O. Henry. His podcast, “The Lives They’re Living,” focuses on people whose achievements deserve renewed attention; episodes have included Gene Seymour on Ishmael Reed, Michael Tisserand on Jules Feiffer, Carrie Courogen on Elaine May, and Dwight Garner on Calvin Trillin. Yagoda lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Alias O. Henry is his first novel.
About the Reviewer
James M. Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of The Seaboard Review of Books. He resides in Miramichi, New Brunswick, with his wife, Diane, their tabby cat, Eddie, and Buster, their Border Collie. James also works as an MRI technologist at the Miramichi Hospital.
Book Details
Publisher : Paul Dry Books
Publication date : Sept. 16 2025
Language : English
Print length : 279 pages
ISBN-10 : 1589882067
ISBN-13 : 978-1589882065
This is a fun review, James, about a novel that I also enjoyed reading. It's nice to know you also found it to your liking. I believe it's Ben Yagoda's first novel—he's also written a book on the clashes and commonalities between American English and British English, "Gobsmacked," a biography of Will Rogers, and other nonfiction.
Much appreciated.