Video: Grand Slam Champion Joyce Lee at Muni Diaries Live

Poet and Oakland Grand Slam champion Joyce Lee is one hell of a storyteller. At Muni Diaries Live in April, she quieted down the rowdy crowd with a sobering story of watching a life go by on Muni. Sometimes when we tell people about Muni Diaries Live, people ask me: “Is it just a bunch of people complaining about Muni?” Not in the least, and this video is just one more reason why Muni stories are so much more than that.

Later that evening, Joyce picked up the crowd by a story about riding the bus with her mom, who told the kids on the bus how it’s done.

Joyce is a frequent performer at Tourettes Without Regrets, the amazing monthly show at the Oakland Metro that is part spoken word slam, part variety show, and the rest — you just have to see for yourself. The next show is tonight, so don’t miss it!

We hate to lose such a local talent, but Joyce has big ambitions — she is going to Kenya later this month to hold free creative writing and poetry workshops for Kenyan women. If you are interested in her project, check out Joyce’s blog.