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W. Nnamdi Orakpo, a Nigerian native, a Study Abroad Professor and Doctoral Candidate in Applied Gerontology, at the University of North Texas, serves as an international public speaker at the Congreso un Futuro sin Pobreza (Future Without Poverty Conference) at ITESO Universidad in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Nnamdi is the 2008 Dallas Poetry Slam City Champion. Nnamdi, an international poet and world wanderer, began playing basketball overseas in Australia and moved on to play Division I basketball before discovering his knack for creative writing. Since, his first poem and stage, he has performed at every major university in the state of Texas. He’s also blazed the mic at conferences at Rust College in Mississippi, including poetry venues in Atlanta, Baltimore, Oakland/ San Francisco, Long Beach, Guadalajara & Zacatecas City, Mexico, and Washington, DC, his former place of residence. His work has been featured in anthologies and magazines, and live on the radio on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show on 97.9 The Beat, and on 105.3 LIVE with Big D Hunter, and Howard University's radio staion WHUR in Washington DC. Nnamdi and Anna Maria-Horsford (Thelma from Amen) jointly blessed the theatre in the play Ances-Tree at the Majestic Theatre. Nnamdi was a special guest on UPN 21 on the Sheryl Underwood Show and he worked with Karan Ashley (the yellow power ranger). Robert Townsend calls Nnamdi’s “Love is Deaf” poem “amazing…beautiful.” Before turning age 25 in the summer of 2007, Nnamdi wrote his first book called The VerbOsphere, a collection of his poetic writings accumulated since 2001. RonJon Publishing published The VerbOsphere and his book is currently available at various university bookstores throughout the United States. The VerbOsphere Tour: West Coast Edition 2008 provided Nnamdi with an opportunity to bless the public with his gift, and giving the west coast insight into his weird yet expressive sphere. The East Coast Edition will be more energetic and animated as Nnamdi promotes his audiobook , which was also released in July 2008. Recently, Nnamdi released a new volume published by HEWELL PUBLISHING entitled AVANT-GOD which is now at the University of North Texas bookstore and abroad. "I dig Nnamdi's work...Nnamdi is pure FIRE" - Malcolm Jamal-Warner