C. Alphonso Smith

#2

1960

"Texas troubadour, convicted embezzler, and adopted New Yorker William Sidney Porter--better known as O. Henry--was one of the world's great storytellers. A master of cunning plots and a gifted humorist, he is best known today for his beloved tale "The Gift of the Magi." But O. Henry's palette of moods and methods was as expansive as his exuberant imagination. This Library of America volume offers a fresh look at the full range of his literary genius. Here are 101 stories, including such favorites as "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Last of the Troubadours," and "The Cop and the Anthem," alongside lesser-known and previously uncollected stories, including three early tales published here for the first time. With full annotation and a newly researched chronology of Porter's life and career, this is a definitive edition for modern readers of a major American writer."--Publisher's description.

#3

1963

"Charlatan, plagiarist, pathological liar, whimpering child, egomaniac, braggart, and irresponsible drunkard, he did what few American writers had ever tried to do before: he tapped the rich reservoir of the subconscious mind to set free the terrible images which had seldom been allowed to stalk the printed page." Thus in his introduction to this collection Philip Van Doren Stern sums up the strange genius of Edgar Allan Poe, one of America's most original men of letters. The Portable Poe compiles Poe's greatest writings: tales of fan- tasy, terror, death, revenge, murder, and mystery, including "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Cask of Amontillado," and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," the world's first detective story. In addition, this vol-ume offers letters, articles, criticism, visionary poetry, and a selection of random "opinions" on fancy and the imagination, music and poetry, intuition and sundry other topics. --back cover