Asides

Exploring O’Henry’s Home: A Trip Through Literary History

This past month, I toured the O’Henry Home. Upon entering, I was greeted by Spike Gillespie, a kind and knowledgeable staff member from the City of Austin’s Museums and Cultural Programs. She shared key details about William Sydney Porter’s life, explaining that he lived in this house from 1884 to 1894 before fleeing to Honduras due to corruption allegations at his workplace, the First National Bank of Austin. A few years later, he returned to the U.S. under an alias—O’Henry—the pen name that would bring him literary fame.

The small home consists of three main rooms: the living room…

…the bedroom…

…and O. Henry’s office.

As I walked through, I enjoyed learning fascinating tidbits about his life and work. His experience drafting maps at the General Land Office in Austin resonated with me, as I’ve encountered the GLO while assisting the Land and Resource Committee in my office.

Although modern technology has replaced hand-drawn maps, I appreciated the small connection I felt while standing in O’Henry’s office.

As I continued walking through the home, I found myself amused with framed sketches located right outside O’Henry’s office. Later, Spike informed me that during his lifetime, O’Henry became a self-taught artist, focusing largely on political cartoons, which were featured in The Rolling Stone magazine. Most of his artwork throughout the home feature a mixture of political cartoons and the life of American settlers.

Spike also shared insights into how his time in Austin shaped his storytelling. Many of his short stories reflect themes of redemption, irony, and human nature, qualities that may have been influenced by his own struggles. His most famous work, “The Gift of the Magi,” showcases his signature twist endings, a style that would make him one of the most celebrated short story writers in American literature.

Beyond his literary contributions, O’Henry’s influence on Austin is still evident. His home, now preserved as a museum, serves as a reminder of the city’s rich cultural history.

Creative writing workshops hosted by individuals like Spike encourage Austinites to expand their writing skills and explore writing techniques utilized by famous writers such as O’Henry.

Visiting the O’ Henry Home provided me with insight that was much greater than a historical tour, it was a glimpse into the life of a man who turned adversities into art, which brought people together. His legacy lives on not only in his stories but also in the continued appreciation of his wit and literary style.

Brazil Culinary Passport

by Olivia Discon

We stamped our passports once again—this time for Brazil—at the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston’s Global Young Professionals “Culinary Passport” series. Held at Tourão Brazilian Churrascaria, this experience gave us the chance to explore Brazilian food and learn more about the country’s growing role in clean energy.

For about half of our group, it was the first time at a Brazilian steakhouse. We were joined by Dr. Elise Herrmann and Dr. Jamile Forcelini, both professors at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Hermann recently completed our Citizenship Prep course (and just this week, earned her citizenship!), and it was great to have her with us for an evening that touched on both international culture and policy.

During dinner, we heard from two speakers involved in the energy sector: Fernando C. Hernandez, who founded the Society for Low Carbon Technologies…

…and Taís Soares, who works in business development at Vallourec.

Their focus, through moderation by Eli Quezeda, was on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)—a process that removes carbon dioxide from the air or from industrial sources and stores it underground to keep it from entering the atmosphere.

One of the main ideas they touched on was being part of “Track 1.5”: a policy and technology goal aimed at keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C, which is seen as a critical threshold to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

To hit that goal, they emphasized the need for both policy and private-sector innovation to move fast, which is where projects like Brazil’s carbon storage law come in.

Their innovative carbon capture methodology is actually quite interesting: emissions are captured from factories or plants, compressed, and then injected into rock formations deep underground where they can stay for centuries. It’s not a silver bullet, but paired with other strategies, it can make a real difference. The speakers explained that these technologies are already being used and expanded in places like Brazil, which is becoming a global leader in this space.

 Although some of the science went over our heads, it was a good reminder that global issues depend on people from many backgrounds and countries working together–while also having the chance to interact and enjoy great food.

As always, we’re grateful to the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston for putting together events that are both fun and informative. And we’re glad to keep expanding our knowledge (and our palates) one country at a time.