Born in Independence, Kansas, William Inge was the fifth and youngest child of Maude Sarah Gibson Inge and Luther Clayton Inge. Mr. Inge was a traveling salesman who was often absent, and young William was raised in a mother-dominated home that significantly influenced his personality and his art. The young Inge was a "momma's boy" who displayed an early flair for recitation and performance, much like Sonny Flood in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Also like Sonny, Inge was teased by other boys as a sissy, but his neurasthenic mother sheltered and encouraged him. During Inge's high-school years, his performing talents expanded to acting and cheerleading, and though he was popular, he seldom dated. These formative experiences contributed to the homosexuality Inge never publicly admitted but hinted at in some of his later writing.
After his high-school graduation in 1930, Inge enrolled at the University of Kansas.
This is a free page. This page contains 148 words. This
biography contains 8,256 words (approx. 28 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our William (Motter) Inge Access Pass.
