My research area is 20th-century American drama. I primarily focus on one of the most significant American playwrights of the 1950s, William Inge, who at the time held a critical reputation comparable to Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Since his importance in American drama criticism significantly declined in the second half of the last century, one of my tasks is to aid in the re-canonization of Inge and to emphasize its significance. The focus of my work is to place Inge’s plays within a stable and frequently discussed American literary tradition. This tradition is called the ‘revolt from the village,’ and its authors aim to deconstruct the myth of the American small town—that it is the place where the finest aspects of American civilization, including community, equality, and tradition, withstand the horrors of modernity that characterize American urban life. My central argument is that William Inge was the first major playwright of this literary tradition.