In the Enemy Camp

Illinois born William Wantling (1933-74) joined the US Marines at seventeen years of age and served in the Korea War. He was honourably discharged in 1955, having attained the rank of sergeant (aged 20 years). The next few years were spent in California, where he and his first wife, Luana, became addicted to heroin, resorting to petty crime, assaults and robbery to finance their growing habit. By 1958, Wantling’s luck had run out and he was incarcerated at San Quentin Prison for 5½ years. Whilst there, his wife (with their son in tow) divorced him. It was in prison that he first taught himself to write. Following his release in 1963, Wantling returned to Illinois, met and married Ruth Ann Bunton and, under the G.I. Bill, enrolled at Illinois State University, obtaining a B.A. and an M.A. in English. As well as publishing a number of poetry collections, being courted by Doubleday chasing a debut novel and even producing ‘erotic’ pot-boilers for the adult market, he was a regular and respected contributor to the literary scene, including an appearance in the prestigious Penguin Modern Poets series. On completing his studies at ISU, he was asked by the faculty to stay on as a lecturer. Wantling continued to have addiction problems, however, often ending up in hospital for treatment. Likwise, he would admit himself to Veterans’ Association psychiatric wards throughout the 1960s, alongside occasional run-ins with the law. Wantling died of heart failure on May 2nd 1974, aged 40 years.