Mishunda Wallace a.k.a. Miss Mai

In 2000, I moved my poetry from the protective obscurity and confinement of the lined pages of my notebooks and released it on stage. Timid and afraid, I found my first open mic exhiliarting and have never looked back. Since then, I have found my own style and voice and am considered to be one of the leading ladies of spoken word in the area.

Influenced by the poetry of Jill Scott, Carl Hancock Rux, Nikki Giovanni, Abyss, Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare and a more, I speak about the things that mean something to me... and when I perform, that personal component comes through. I am naked before the audience--every scar, tear, mistake and triumph out there for the world to see. And my hope is that someone identifies with my words and finds encouragement to keep on keeping on.

In 2005 I adopted the stage name "Miss Mai" (pronounced my). Spoken word has been very good to me, allowing me to minister to the young and the old. In the near decade since I have taken my poetry public, I have enjoyed sharing the stage with gospel artist James Fortune, smooth jazz sensation Norman Brown, and performed at two youth conferences featuring Dr. William H. Cosby in his efforts to bring our African-American youth to accountability. I am a past winner of the American Jazz Museum's Jazz Poetry Slam and a two-time feature at H.I.S. W.I.L.L. Entertainment's christian showcase. I have participated in countless women's ministries and youth seminars, including the Super Summer event in 2008 held by the Missouri Baptist Convention.

In 2009, I am embarking on the next leg of my journey with my new devotional "Esteem Makeover: God's Edition", a 7-week guide to beautifying yourself from the inside-out.