ABOUT DONALD LYLES--WRITER-WRITING TEACHER, WORKSHOP TEACHER/SPEAKER/LEADER.

  DONALD LYLES IS A NATIVE OF EAST TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY THE NECHES AREA OF PALESTINE. THE SON OF A WELL-DIGGER (BY HAND) AND FARMER, HE ATTENDED THE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE FLINT HILL AND EVANS SPRINGS COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THEN-CLEMMONS HIGH SCHOOL (WHICH HAS CHANGED IT NAME TO NECHES, FOLLOWING INTEGRATION. IN HIGH SCHOOL HE WAS ACTIVE IN THE 4-H CLUB AND THE THEN-NEW FARMERS OF AMERICA (NFA). SINCE THEN THE NFA ITSELF HAS MERGED WITH THE FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA. AS A YOUTH LYLES READ COMIC BOOKS. IN THE EARLY NINETEEN SIXTIES HE SAW AN AD FOR LYRIC/SONGWRITERS. SINCE HE HAS BEEN A LOVER OF WORDS---HE STUDIED SEVERAL SONG LYRICS AND SAID TO HIMSELF: "I CAN DO THAT;AND HE DID."  SEVERAL COMPANIES ACCEPTED SEVERAL OF HIS SONGPOEMS. HE WAS TEAMED UP WITH A COMPOSER AND THE SONG WAS RECORDED..ULTIMATELY HE WAS A DISTRICT/STATE/NATIONAL CHAMPION LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY JUDGING CONTESTANT IN BOTH TEXAS AND THE NATIONAL COMPETITION IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, WHERE HE AND TWO OTHER MEMBERS (Robert Smith, Jr. And A.D. Pinson) WON OUT OVER A DOZENS STATES (THE STATE CHAMPIONS FROM THEIR STATE). IN THE 4-H CLUB). HE WON THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND SCROLL. HE WAS AWARDED THE SAME AWARD IN THE THE NFA PROGRAM IN THE NEXT YEAR.

HE STARTED HIS COLLEGE EDUCATION AT PRAIRIE VIEW A & M UNIVESITY, MAJORING FIRST IN AGRICULTURE, THEN SWITCHING TO DRAFTING/INDUSTRIAL ARTS. " I WASN'T A GOOD STUDENT AT FIRST, " HE STATES NOW. " I WANTED TO HANG OUT IN THE RECREATIONAL CENTER AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE WERE GIRLS.  I LEFT THE CAMPUS ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND, VISITING MY SISTERS IN HOUSTON. I DIDN'T STURDY LIKE I SHOULD HAVE.  ONE DAY WHILE IN THE LIBRARY I SAW AN OUT OF STATE NEWSPAPER WITH A POETRY SECTION. THE PUBLICATION ASK FOR POETRY SUBMISSIONS. I SENT IN A RECENT POEM I HAD WRITTEN. IT WAS ACCEPTED. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER I WAS IN THE LIBRARY AND I DECIDED TO READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE PUBLICATION---THE NORFOLK JOURNAL AND GUIDE, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. I SAW MY POEM. IT WAS MY FIRST PUBLICATION..

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