Dera White’s I Will Not Die Alone is a hilarious, feel-good story about the end of the world. Featuring illustrations by Joe Bennett, it is a story full of realistic self-love affirmations for all of us who are just trying to get by, until we die.
What was the inspiration behind you two- siblings- collaborating together on a book?
Dera: Joe and my husband both work in the animation world, which tends to be pretty small and tight-knit. They know a lot of the same people, and have actually worked on projects together over the years. I’ve also done a VERY little bit of writing for his animation pitches, and we know we all get along and work well together. There’s an ease, a breeziness, and even an honesty (sometimes too honest? haha) in working together. When he suggested we write a book, I instantly knew we could make something that would at least be entertaining to us and to our family, if nothing else.
Joe: I don’t think being siblings inspired the book necessarily, but it certainly made the process easy and fun. We sort of spend all our time making each other laugh already, we might as well write a book.
How did you work together — were you in the same room, was it long distance over time, who needed more patience, etc?
Dera: I live outside Atlanta, Georgia, and he lives in Pasadena, California. The majority of the book was written in our separate corners of the world, but we made it work through a series of phone calls, Facetimes, Google Doc exchanges, and ultimately a couple in-person visits where we buckled down at my dining room table until it was finished.
I’m honestly not sure who needed more hand-holding out of the two of us. He had the harder job for sure (I mean, look at those illustrations!) On the very few occasions that one of us had to suggest an edit, whether it was the writing or the illustration, any changes he had to make were WAY more complicated and time-consuming than a copy edit.
Joe: (quietly accepts compliment)
What came first – the text or the illustrations?
Joe: Neither came first- they were both bred out of conversation… like, wherever, whenever the inspiration hit, we just ran with it- whether it was a funny visual that popped into one of our heads or an affirmation that rang true- we would call the other and try to brainstorm the correlating text or illustration on the spot.
Dera: There were a lot more animals, affirmations, and drawings that hit the cutting room floor in the end, but I think that is only a testament to how much fun we were having. We could’ve easily kept going.
Is this your first time teaming up on a project?
Dera: Yes, this is our first real collaboration. I’m 6 years older than him, so our interests and hobbies didn’t really align until he was in college. The closest thing to a collaboration might’ve been the time I gave him a haircut while our parents were out. I was 16, he was 10, and I’d convinced him that I knew what I was doing. Poor kid.
Joe: She made me look like a friar. And then when our parents got home, they were so mad they shaved my head completely. And then I looked like a 10 year old Michael Pollan.
What is your favorite animal or page?
Joe: The most relatable for me is definitely the hypochondriac Meerkat. But I also really like the Masters of the Universe ram.
Dera: I relate a lot to the Panda. I’m always trying to sneak turmeric into my family’s food. But the Golden Retriever is also pretty sweet… he’s based on our childhood dog, Gus.
What do you want readers to walk away feeling at the end of the book?
Joe: Life is short, make the most of what you have while you have it.
Dera: Yes, and community is necessary.
