OLD TRICKS, NEW TREATS is book three of the BAG OF TRICKS trilogy: a compilation of short stories about San Francisco punks in the early 80’s.

1. How do you distinguish between memoir and fiction in this collection?
   I took my own stories- and those experiences of my cohorts from the time- and embellished, adding not only bits and pieces to the stories themselves, but also to the characters. There were a few times that I paused and asked myself- how close do I want this character to resemble the real live person that inspired them? Sometimes, I allowed the characters to remain a bit closer to their live counterpart. Most of the time, I made up so much weird stuff about them that there remained only a sliver of the original. As for my own stories? Sure, most of what happened in these tales happened to me or someone I know, more or less. But even there, I made up a bunch of details that never happened. I leave that up to the reader to try to figure out- or not. It IS fiction 🙂 
   
2. What responsibilities come with fictionalizing real people or events?
   Woof, making sure not to co-opt someone else’s life. What if that person wants to tell their own tales? And honestly, I’ve had these conversations with a couple of people who were a bit disgruntled at what they thought was my incorrect characterization of them. “I didn’t say that!” “II didn’t look like that!” I’ve become adept, I think, at explaining that while the character was inspired by them, I made up a bunch of details that had nothing to do with them, so in the end, it’s not them. 
   
3. Did any stories originate from late-night reminiscing with old punk friends?
   Of course. Well, not necessarily late night. But my closest friend from back in the day, Annabelle, and I would have these lovely, long conversations about so many things, including questions we had for each other, since our memories were a bit unreliable. You know, drugs do that to you. We would ask, “What happened to so and so?” or “Did so and so die?” and “Isn’t so and so in prison/a soccer mom/living on the streets?” Also, we would have to fill in the blanks about events we both experienced but couldn’t quite recall. When did that happen? Who was there? What happened next? And in the course of our talks, her husband or mine would sit, transfixed, jaws dropped open, and eventually say, “You have to write these stories.” So I did.
   
4. How has your perception of those memories changed over time?
   Heh, there are times when I think I remember something clearly, and other times when I’m not quite sure if what I recall really happened or if the way I wrote about it has affected my memory, pulling it in that direction. Sadly, Annabelle is no longer alive, so the one best person I can call to ask, “Hey am I remembering this right?” is gone. I’d be happy to reconnect with other old pals from the time, but you know, that’s also a long process, coming back into one another’s lives. So I might just be left with my own versions of those memories, whether real or enhanced.
   
5. If you could speak to your younger self in that scene, what would you say?
   Oh kiddo, think twice about trusting that guy/those people. Maybe don’t put that first needle in your arm (though honestly, I wouldn’t have had the experiences to write about then, would I?!). Mostly, I would let her know she has choices and plenty of time to make those choices. You know how when we’re young, we feel like we have to make that mad dash into the future? I’m one of the lucky ones and made it through, but it could so easily have gone a different direction. So I would encourage her to take a little more care and put some thought into what she decides to do next.

About:

OLD TRICKS, NEW TREATS is book three of the BAG OF TRICKS trilogy: a compilation of short stories about San Francisco punks in the early 80’s.

Follow the adventures of The Shits, Val, Sophie, Babs, Carla, Red, Marco, Bags and all the rest of the rag-tag gang of street punks that populate these stories. Ride with them as they hit new highs and lows, make mostly bad and occasionally good choices, and aim for uncharted lives in the end.

Link – https://amzn.to/4oFYSzL

About the Author
Ruby grew up in the foothills of Northern CA and the West Texas flatlands, riding horses in the back woods near Folsom Prison, and singing with family on the back porch. She attended SDSU at fifteen- studying electrical engineering and drama- then stumbled into life on the streets of San Francisco, enchanted by all the grime and glitz, the drugs and wild nights, even the discordance and insanity of life as a punk in those early days. Moving on, Ruby co-founded the North Coast California Earth First! in Arcata, CA while attending Humboldt State, and fished across Alaskan waters. Eventually, she moved to Seattle, WA where she opened a series of restaurants, then transitioned from restaurateur to singer/songwriter when she started the roots-rockabilly band Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers in 2002. Thrice Grammy-considered, they tour the world and produce award-winning records. In 2023, Ruby wrote Bag of Tricks after reconnecting with old punk friends and reminiscing about those lost years. Most of what she wrote came from events that really occurred, though Ruby took liberties and changed some details because she could. Find more at https://www.rubydeephilippa.com/

Find Part Five HERE