Yesterday I posted about Never Sit if You Can Dance: Lessons from my Mother by Jo Giese. It’s time to talk to Jo today about Babe, the lessons and dancing!
Jo Giese is an award-winning radio journalist, author, teacher, community activist, and global traveler. As a special correspondent Jo was part of the Peabody award-winning team at Marketplace, public radio’s daily business show, and she’s been a contributor to This American Life. She is a intrepid and enthusiastic world traveler, having visited more than 50 plus countries. In the last ten years she’s traveled to India three times, China, Africa, Finland, and Vietnam twice, as well as Patagonia, Bhutan, New Zealand, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, and Norway.
It was wonderful to connect with her! Enjoy the interview, and get some insights about the book, without any spoilers! Haven’t read my thoughts about the book yet? Click on the reading experience graphic below and it’ll take you there. 🙂
- Your mom has a very special place in your heart. What led you to write this book about the lessons you have learned from her?
There’s no one more surprised than me that I wrote a book about my mom’s lessons. I rebelled against her, moved away to New York City and felt, “I’m a journalist in New York City, and she’s a stay-at-home wife, mother, mom.” But decades later, I realized how much I’d learned from her. The first piece I wrote was Sometimes Life Begins Again at 95. My mom, who was called Babe, had moved into a senior community at 95, and I was dazzled by how she blossomed in that environment. I wrote that story for a Houston magazine because the senior community was in Houston. Then I realized I had more “lessons” to write.
- I grew up in India and dancing is an integral part of celebration and freedom there. Many of our folk dances, such as garba, are enacted in huge groups. In the Western world though, dancing seems to be more of a couple’s thing. Why do you think that is?
I love India. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. Although dancing here is more of a couple’s thing, there is some dancing, like square dancing, that’s a group activity. And there is some dancing like hip hop that doesn’t require a partner. But couples dancing is romantic. And I say in Lesson 1, If dancing is sex standing up, then my parents and their friends must have had a really good erotic time gliding around those beautiful ballrooms.
- The way dancing was for your mom, which hobby or guilt pleasure do you love indulging in?
I love hiking—hiking to waterfalls. Hiking to waterfalls all over the world from Brazil to Bhutan, from Chilean Patagonia to Bozeman, Montana. My very favorite was helicopter hiking to remote waterfalls in New Zealand.
- I absolutely loved reading about your parents and how great they were together, intuitive in supporting and caring for one another. It is amazing how chemistry and romance are part of this book without effort. Based on how they were together, did they inspire you to have any couple-goals?
So many of my friends didn’t have parents who were good role models for romance and marriage. As you noticed, my parents really enjoyed being with each other and supporting each other. It taught me not to settle. And not to argue about stupid things like household tasks.
- I love the stories that came with each of the lessons and I believe the hardest one of them all would be to make the best of it. Have there been times when you have looked back at that lesson and it has helped you be strong?
Good question. A year ago, I ruptured my left achilles, it didn’t reattach after surgery, it turned necrotic and died, and I was on a knee scooter for 114 days. Before my third surgery—this time to put a skin flap over the awful wound–I was pretty grumpy. A friend who knew my mom, and who knew my book, asked, what would your mom say? I answered, she’d say, Make the best of it. It may sound glib, but that was a turn-around for me. It helped me change my attitude and put me on a more positive path.
- Since it is the beginning of a new year, of all the lessons that you shared, if there was one you would love your readers to embrace, which one would it be?
That’s tough because so many lessons could help start off the new year with a positive spin. But perhaps I’d choose Don’t Be Drab. My mom asserted herself through bold bursts of bright colors. It wasn’t, “Look at me and how gorgeous I am”. It was more, “Look at me, I’m accessible and fun. Let’s be friends”. She understood that a splash of color added a dose of happiness to herself and others. Color made her attractive as in it attracted people to her.
Enjoyed reading this interview with Jo? You can connect with her in the following ways:
** Never Sit If You Can Dance is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! **
Amazon Print
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Cover image: Photo by Andrew Tanglao on Unsplash
I always love your interviews, Kriti, but this one specially warmed me. It’s a bit somber how we never realize how much parents have to teach us until we’re old enough to realize all we’ve already learned.
Babe sounds like an amazing and inspiring woman, and Jo clearly took after her 😌
I totally agree, Arina! 🙂 Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to seeing what it makes you think.