Jamie Mayes: Writer, Speaker & Educator

In addition to being a writer and speaker, Author Jamie Mayes is also a high school English teacher in Monroe, Louisiana. In January 2013, she released a gritty, elevated second collection of poetry Pennies in My Pocket. She is also a freelance writer and short story author. Her articles have appeared in the Monroe Free Press, the Louisiana based magazine I Am Creole, and the Christian online magazine A Time as This. 


Growing up the in the housing projects of DeRidder, Jamie experienced the aches of living in poverty and a single parent home. Externally a happy child, she internally fought issues of low self-esteem and childhood depression until her mid-teenaged years when she discovered her talent for writing and speaking. She began writing poems and "stashing" them under her bed to help her cope with feelings of insecurity and pressures from school and home. With the encouragement of a school club sponsor, Jamie entered a public speaking contest and found personal joy by verbally releasing messages of positivity and encouragement to her peers. While she continually fought difficult days, the comfort she received through writing and speaking helped her to understand her significance in the world. 

Her determination to become successful pushed her to begin working at twelve years old, earning money by cleaning houses, babysitting, and “doing hair” from home. It was with these earnings and financial support from her family and community that she was able to seek opportunities to continue to write, speak, and compete. It was also in high school that Jamie became deeply intrigued with creating works that shed positive light on American culture. She wrote and directed the first black history play in the history of her high school and continued to compete in public speaking events. During her final year of high school, she won first place at a BETA club state convention and went on to earn fourth place at a national convention. 

Following high school, she enrolled at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She eagerly anticipated college life with the expectation of much easier days to come. However, the demand of a full time job to make ends meet, broken heart experiences, the death of a close childhood friend, and a journey to find self, gave her a view of reality. Consequently, she found herself once again leaning heavily on her pen for motivation, inspiration, and consolation. 

Upon graduation, she completed studies in English with minors in Communication Studies and African American Studies at Louisiana State University. Following college, she worked in sales for a short time, but found that it did not satisfy her desire to be a positive contributor to the future generation of leaders.  Eventually, she became a high school English teacher. The desire for something new and a chance to pursue a graduate degree led her to northeast Louisiana. There, she obtained her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Louisiana.

Despite an unstable life, one thing remained stable-writing. She continued to write poetry and essays and began writing short stories. With the encouragement of a friend, she decided it was time to turn pieces of paper into a book. Shortly after finishing graduate school, she began working on the publication of her first book Tear Stained Dresses & Dusty Shoes.

“The once cocooned worm inside of me is now a beautiful butterfly that has been set free.” ~Jamie Mayes