Ruby's also the only woman in the spoken word group iLL-Literacy, which has four members.

I have to give it up for women of color who do their thing in a male-dominated world. And it takes a lot of bravery to pour your heart out onto the page (or stage). Reading her book gives you a peek into her soul, and you really feel what she's going through at the time that she wrote the pieces. 

She's releasing Miss Universe this Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Milk Bar in San Francisco, where you can catch the entire iLL-Literacy Crew perform along with a live band.  

Also check out Ruby's blog here for updates.