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 CD 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, at the 11th Annual Poetry Ink, at Blacks in Government Black Author Expo. She will serve as the guest poet at the Academy Women 4th Annual Symposium in 2007. Maxwell graduated the Class of 1994 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. She was honorably discharged and resigned her commission in May 2006 in order to pursue her writing career and to devote herself to her three children ages 11, 7, and 6. Maxwell is a member of the Military Writers Society of America. She is a pet therapy handler for two therapy dogs for the Maryland’s Prince George’s County Pets on Wheels. Maxwell is a breeder, handler, owner, and trainer of 5 AKC Chinese Crested Dogs.

2007 National Underground Spokenword Poetry Award Nominee