William Inge, born May 3, 1913, was the fifth and last child born to Maude and Luther Inge. He was raised in Independence, Kansas, by hIs mother; his father was a salesman and was rarely at home. After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1935, Inge   attended the George Peabody College for Teachers but left before completing a master of arts degree. After a brief period teaching English at a local high school, Inge returned to college to complete his master's program. He also worked as a drama critic, and it was during this period that he met noted playwright Tennessee Williams (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), who encouraged him to write. Inge   completed his first play, and, with the help of Williams, Farther Off from Heaven was produced in 1947.

Concurrent with his riSing success as a writer, Inge began to address shortcomings in his...