The blog side of things is closing down today and, unless I get spurred to write something, will not resume until the New Year. It's been a couple of months now since I decided to turn this web site from a simple noticeboard about my books into a blog. I hope my nonconformist thoughts on the business of writing have prompted some amusement, entertainment and perhaps cogitation out there. Judging by the statistics they seem to have reached a good number of people.

How much I'll be able to keep this up in the new year remains to be seen. On the basis of the current workload 2o10 is going to be a very busy year indeed. Anyway, let me leave you with a seasonal goodie... and best wishes for the holiday ahead.

<em>The Gift of the Magi</em> must be one of the most-copied stories on the planet. Its basic premise has been everywhere, from <em>The Simpsons</em> to <em>Futurama, Sesame Street</em> to <em>Rugrats.</em>

Not bad for a simple and amusing little Christmas tale from the pen of William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry, a wonderful writer of short stories that were famed for their twist-in-the-tale endings.

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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry" target="_blank">Henry</a> led a colourful life that included a spell in jail for embezzlement and exile in the Honduras where his despatches gave us the term 'banana republic'. Rumour has it this story was written in the famous New York bar, <a href="http://www.petestavern.com/" target="_blank">Pete's Tavern</a>, a place still happily in business. If you don't know of him and like the look of his work you'll find the names of some of his other popular stories at the end of the pdf below.

<a title="Henry - The Gift of the Magi.pdf" href="http://davidhewson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Henry-The-Gift-of-the-Magi.pdf">O. Hentry - The Gift of the Magi</a>