I am R.K. Ryals, a native Mississipian with an avid interest in reading and writing. I would list accolades or educational achievements, but I have never believed that to be a true influence on writing, just on polishing it. My mother has always been my biggest inspiration. She was a tough Southern woman who grew up extremely poor. Her choices were determined by her life. She didn't finish high school, but she was one of the wisest women I have ever known. She passed away in 2005, but I will never forget what she meant to my sister and me. A single mother fostering twins, she gave us an overwhelming amount of love. Not a confident child, I often threw away writing material after playing around with a story or a poem. One day, after I had married, I was going through her hope chest and found a large amount of crumpled paper. Opening these scraps revealed a pile of stories I had long ago forgotten I had written. I carried them to my mother. "Why did you keep these?" I asked. She studied me a moment before answering, her voice deeply accented.  "Because what you considered trash, I considered genius." This is now my motto for life.    

Waller Writing Award

State Level Honorable Mention on an Essay on the Vietnam War in College