The Ransom of Red Chief - 0. Henry

The Ransom of Red Chief - 0. Henry

From Written Works For You, By You by Lourdes

May 11, 2026 · 25 min · Season 2 · Episode 2

About this episode

The episode discusses O. Henry's story 'The Ransom of Red Chief', exploring its humor and human elements.

Welcome back. O. Henry was a pharmacist, a ranch hand, a bank teller, and a fugitive before he was a writer. He wrote this while he was hiding from the law, and you can feel it — two kidnappers who think they've got it all figured out, and a kid who absolutely refuses to cooperate. It's funny, it's ridiculous, and it's somehow deeply human. O. Henry sent this out into the world not knowing if anyone would read it. They did. They still do. If you've got something you're not sure about — something funny, something weird, something you wrote at 3am and almost deleted — send it to me. I'll read it out loud. Anonymous or named. I'm still listening. Website: WWFYBY Instagram: @WrittenWorksForYouByYou Reddit: WWFYBY Email: ⁠⁠⁠WrittenWorksForYouByYou@gmail.com And if you leave a review or a comment, let me know — I'll give you a shoutout in the next episode. Every voice helps this room grow.

People in this episode

Host: Lourdes

Topics covered

  • O. Henry
  • kidnapping
  • humor
  • human experience
  • writing

Keywords

  • O. Henry
  • The Ransom of Red Chief
  • kidnappers
  • humor
  • writing

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Ransom of Red Chief

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