-
Thomas Lanier Williams III was born
Thomas Lanier Williams III was born on March 26th, in 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. Williams is an American playwright that wrote plays from 1930-1983. He uses the pen name Tennessee Williams. -
American Drama
With 2 other contemporaries (Eugene O'Niell and Arthur Miller), Williams is considered one of the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American Drama -
WWI
Tennessee was raised during World War 1, which could have possibly influenced his writing style and the topics he wrote about during his time as a film writer and playwright. -
Williams' Family
Tennessee has many family members. His mother and father are Edwin Dakin and Cornelius Coffin Williams. His siblings are his older sister, Rose Williams (1909-1996) , and his younger brother, Dakin Williams (1919-2008). -
His Influences
Tennessee was inspired by novelists, poets, and other playwrights since he was 10 years old. Some of his influences are Hart Crane, William Shakespeare, Arthur Rimbaud, Anton Chekhov, Clarence Darrow, Katherine Mansfield, Emily Dickinson, and August Strindberg. -
His Education
Tennessee attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and was the first freshman to earn an honorable mention in a writing contest -
The Relationship Between his Mother and his Father
His parents did not have the best relationship, in fact, they divorced in the 1930's because of his fathers abusive temper and alcoholism. -
Jobs
While Williams was an adolescent to an adult in his 30's, he had many jobs which included being a waiter, factory worker, a Hollywood film writer, to a caretaker on a chicken ranch. -
WWII
Williams was also alive during World War 2, which might have impacted him in his writing. -
The Glass Menagerie
Williams wrote a play named 'The Glass Menagerie in 1944 about a man named Tom who tells the story in memories. -
A Streetcar Named Desire
'A Streetcar Named Desire' is a play set in the French Quarter of New Orleans following World War II about a young woman seeking a place in the world to call her own. -
Summer and Smoke
'Summer and Smoke is a play Williams and another playwright named John Buchanan worked on from 1945-48 about a connection of body and mind. -
His Bad Decisions and Addiction
Tennessee had an addiction to alcohol and drugs for a while from the 1960-70's, and made bad choices for collaborators which gave him difficulty in creating good plays for about a decade. -
Williams' Romantic Endeavors
Williams had a long term relationship with a man named Frank Merlo for 15 years. They had a small falling out where they split briefly in 1961 and 1962. Frank, however, died from lung cancer in 1963. -
Williams' Depression
Williams suffered from depression for years and was even institutionalized for a year because of his brother. After he got out he felt resentment towards his younger brother and never felt the same way after that. -
Memoirs
Williams wrote a biography named 'Memoirs' about his life in his Youth, as well as talking about his battle against depression and dependency on alcohol. He also writes about his life as a homosexual, and his gay partners. -
His Mother's Death
His mother spent her last years in a care facility and died at 95 years old. Williams felt an animosity towards her and did not see her often in her last years. His friends described his reaction to her death as 'mixed'. -
His Resting Place
Williams' resting place is the Calvary Cemetery. -
Tennessee Williams Passes Away
On February 25th, 1983 Williams passes away in New York in a hotel by choking to death from inhaling the inside of a plastic cap similar to that of a bottle of nasal spray or eye solution. -
