hˈɪŋkɪnz wʌz ɹˈeɪzd ɪn jˈuːtɔ ænd ɹᵻsˈiːvd ɐ bˈætʃəlɚɹ ʌv sˈaɪəns dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn saɪkˈɑːlədʒi fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv jˈuːtɔ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti ˈeɪt bᵻfˌoːɹ mˈuːvɪŋ tə sˌæn fɹænsˈɪskoʊ tə wˈɜːk æz ɐn ɪnʃˈʊɹɹəns klˈeɪmz ɐdʒˈʌstɚ bᵻfˌoːɹ ɡˌɛɾɪŋ ɐ dʒˈɑːb tˈiːtʃɪŋ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ æt ɹˈoʊzmiːd hˈaɪ skˈuːl ɪn ɐ sˈʌbɜːb ʌv lˌɑːs ˈændʒəlɪs.
Hinkins was raised in Utah and received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Utah in 1958 before moving to San Francisco to work as an insurance claims adjuster before getting a job teaching English at Rosemead High School in a suburb of Los Angeles.