Odessa Maxwell was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1973. She is the author of a book of poetry and photography Thoughts of My Mind, Heart, and Soul (2006) and a recording of Maxwell reading and performing 16 of her poems on This Story is My Life (2007).  Her work has been featured in The Best Poems & Poets of 2005 anthology, in the International Who's Who in Poetry 2006 anthology, at the 2006 Academy Women 3rd Annual Symposium "Leading From All Fronts", in Maelan Magazine, and recorded on the Sound of Poetry. As a spoken word artist, Maxwell was nominated in 2007 for a National Underground Spokenword Poetry Award. She has also been a featured poet at the Prince George's County Health Department Black History Month Celebration; Making Herstory: A Feminine Perspective in Art and Words; the 11^th Annual Poetry Ink; and the Blacks in Government Black Author Expo.   She will serve as the guest poet at the Academy Women 4^th Annual Symposium in 2007.   Maxwell is also the host of Trimaxx Publishers' radio show "Authors Speak Out".