Interview with Frieda Babbley

1. You tell stories that are sometimes whimsical, sometimes sad, but always full of humanity and warmth, with a goodly dose of reality thrown in. What keeps you so in touch and able to express with such gentle realism your feelings and imagination?
   This is a hard question to answer. Good one. Well, I assume you speak of my short stories and poetry here. Basically, I become who I'm writing about. Fully, totally. I have one moment, situation, feeling, and I just go from there. I get a spark of a feeling or a situation, I go into my tent - it's filled with file cabinets by the way (both are pretend, but no matter) - and just start typing. It is the character(s) that makes it all happen. I re-read a lot as well. I find that if you read out loud, you discover mistakes you otherwise wouldn't find, you can hear what you've said better, if it flows or doesn't (the sound, flow, and sensibility of words writ is very important to me). I also try to keep a balance, never too much, never too little in each piece. I find, too, that the truth is the truth, and that's what makes a good story (whether it's a real-live truth or not), that's where the humanity and warmth come in, never be ashamed of it, never hide it. I don’t judge the characters that present themselves to me, nor do I judge the situations that arise. I don't have any hidden agendas. I don't embellish or diminish them. I let them be. I never push the issue. The truth unfolds itself, and if you open yourself up to it, it pours in. The story unfolds from there. I never know the whole of it until I feel that it is done, when all the honesty has come out.
2. Another Hubber recently called you "the HubPages Diva " - how do you feel about that, and do you see yourself as a "diva"?
   I do know what you are referring to, it was written by a hubber I admire greatly and whose imagination and humor are a shear blessing to HubPages; I am, of course, speaking of frogdropping. So if I may say so, my humble self would express that she has stretched the truth for effect in her hub Frieda We Need Her. However, the "diva" side of me would respond by saying, "You have no choice but to love me and to aspire to my greatness."
3. Writing is clearly very important for you. How do you keep the words flowing?
   Actually I get writers block like everyone else. But you never really have writer's block. Writer's block is your mind's way of telling you to take a nice relax. It's telling you to go read something, clean something, listen to some music, entertain yourself, give yourself a change of scenery. It's telling you to stop thinking so much. Take a potty break. It is a fair part of the writing process. It's one of the reasons why I have a variety of writing platforms. It offers a nice change and the ability to play with no pressure, at the same time being able to share. Variety and change is important for many aspects of one’s life.
4. It has been said that dogs have owners while cats have staff. With your knowledge of cats would you agree with this statement, and why?
   I have vast knowledge of many a types of pet, especially dogs and cats. At the same time I'm not a dog or a cat, so I can merely speculate. I have two dogs and two cats as we speak. Now, I have to say this is a very good question when taken seriously, and one which I still debate. I think it depends on the cat or dog in question, just like it depends on the person in question. We, as humans, all enjoy singular categorizing. But truth be told, if we allowed our dogs the same freedoms as our cats, we would see this question differently. Both are companions. However due to the prominent independence of a cat's personality, we tend to protect ourselves by saying that they think we are their servants so that we take it less personally. Truth be told, your dog knows how to manipulate you as much as you think you know how to manipulate it. I urge everyone to think about THAT.
5. How "prettied up" does your piano have to be before you start teaching piano again? And what is "applied piano?"
   My piano is missing its keyboard. I got it at a thrift store here in St. Louis, my favorite one, VALUE VILLAGE. It's absolutely gorgeous, has wonderful woodwork. Anyway, it is old and is getting it's keys re-covered. It was supposed to be finished last week. I have to get on the guy that's working on it! But I do go to others' homes to teach, so it's okay.
   Applied piano is the hands on part of playing music. It's utilizing all theories and then expressing it through music. It includes developing the ear, memory work, positioning, posture, etiquette, etc.
6. How did you come to like jazz?
   I came to like Jazz via the classics of the silver screen. That was my first experience with Jazz. Fortunately, later in life, my stepfather introduced us to the largest collection of Jazz music that I’d ever seen or heard in my life. Every Thursday night was Jazz night. Never an exception. There's something about jazz and its many, many, forms and sounds, since its beginning, that hits the soul and sets the mood like no other. Jazz will NEVER die. It will always have a place, just as classical music (another great favorite of mine) always will."
7. What is your favourite memory of Greece?
   My favorite memory of Greece? I don't have one. I did a brief memoire piece answering a request, which holds a brief answer for you; My Visit to Greece. I have my mother and fathers' memories which I hold dear as well. It's all swishing around in my mind and melds into my own. Sadness at Thasillion is based on some of my mother's memories she had passed on to me, once upon a time, which I pieced together to make a new memory. (I'm going to be confused when I get up there in years, aren't I.)
8. You write on beauty therapy and cats, you write poetry and short stories. Which genre do you most enjoy writing, which of your hubs are your favorites, and which do you consider your best?
   I have yet to write a published piece that I didn't enjoy writing, so I don't really have a favorite genre. It really depends on my mood or moment's fancy as to which I like better than another. I'd have a really hard time choosing which of my hubs are my favorites, at any given moment. If I absolutely HAD to choose, I'd say all the ones with words and photos (sneaky smile). I'm pretty proud of those. Those are also my best ones (another sneaky smile). I suppose I'm killing many birds with one stone here.
9. Why redheads?
   Why redheads? Because it was as good a place to start as any. You're referring here to my Frieda's Favorite Famous Redheaded Comediennes Series, I believe; more redheads to come, by the way, that part of my three part series isn't over yet. I'll also have Frieda's Favorite Famous Brunette Comediennes, and Frieda's Favorite Famous Blonde Comediennes. I must say, however, that I do have an admiration for redheads. Oregon produces (if I may be so crude) the most beautiful heads of thick red curls I've ever seen in my life. Oregon farmers also produce my favorite jams and jellies. I don't believe I've tried their honey, but when I go back, I'll be on the lookout.
10. The number of hubbers is growing quickly. What is your advice for writers just starting out at HubPages?
    My advice is go to hot hubs, go to best hubs, go to best hubbers, read all available in the help section, take it slow, AND PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOR and read Hitchhiker's Guide to Hubs - A Newbie Navigational and Etiquette Guide and SHOW SOME HUB LOVE... VOTE.
11. And now the question everyone dreads: Who are your favorite hubbers and why?
    Actually, I’m not dreading this question. I’m rather proud of my favorites and I don’t mind sharing them with the world. But I do warn you, it’s a bit of a lengthy list, so I’ll do my best to be brief. These are not in any particular order, by the way. Nor is it a totally full list. But, these are my favorites because I love what they have to say and how they say it, whether it be poetry, stories, life, humor, facts, how to, whatever or all at the same time. Most of them have a wonderful sense of humor which I thoroughly enjoy. I feel something when I read one of their hubs. I get inspired. I must read them asap. I give them thumbs up.
    So without further ado, my favorite writers on HubPages are (ladies first): PGrundy, robie2, Jerilee Wei, JamaGenee, Teresa Mc Gurk, Ginn Navarre, Shirley Anderson, go chapstick!, Amy G., frogdropping, Christa Dovel, ripplemaker, alekhouse, best bed and breakfast stories Elena, for all things love and heartbreak, Rochelle Frank, she may be frank, but she has quite the sense of humor, and is a great laundry poet to boot, Ajcor, whose push got my poetry gears in motion (many thanks ajcor), Ivorwen, Cindy Letchworth, Lissie, Lita Sorensen, her photography is exceptional, Aya Katz, she has a chimp and lives to write about it, amazing stuff, Am I dead yet? (her poems have inspired most of my fiction, unfortunately they are not up now, perhaps she’s getting published?), Nanny J.O.A.T. Ms Chievous, Randy Behavior, her poetry is WOW, Candie V, Amy G, Patty Inglish, MS, k@ri, Mighty Mom, KCC Big Country, Triplet Mom (the first person I fanned on HubPages, by the way), Dolores Monet, Denny Lyon, Jewels, Shalini Kagal, TamCor.
    And now for the guys: Cris A, I don’t have words to describe his work, each hub is a work of art in both literal and visual senses, I admire it greatly, Christoph Reilly, on off times we race our scooters, mine has a cooler so I supply the drinks, ralwus, my dear Mr. Walrus, what a writer, what an artist, he is multi talented as well, and I love it when he tickles me with his whiskers, sufidreamer, photos of Greece enough to make you quite jealous rmr, is a must read, Tonimac04, I am always learning something from your hubs, Tony, and I share your love of Jazz, of course, Tom Rubenoff, roflmao, but seriously folks, I’m his agent, sort of, well, he said once I should be, it was a joke I think but please, let me relish the possible compliment, Tom Cornett, his stories, his music, his humor, I’m an admirer of his work for sure, Russ Baleson, poet and tales with unexpected inspiration, James A Watkins, always interesting manlypoetryman, yes, he’s manly and yes he writes poetry, and yes, the poetry is manly too, Paper Moon, my husband of 14 years, ladies, you can flirt, but hands off!, dipless, quantum physics was never so exciting, and I’m not being funny, Benjimester, hiya Benji, how goes it?, marcofratelli, he actually got me interested in construction, Capt and The Kid, his stories are must reads, and of course, bunyip named sue, my special buddy.