We chat with author DeAndra Davis about All the Noise at Once, which is a compelling, moving story about brotherhood, identity, and social justice, a Black, autistic teen tries to figure out what happened the night his older brother was unjustly arrested.
Hi, DeAndra! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Well, I’m a video game playing, chai loving, and Wicked obsessed author, haha. I’m based in South Florida, where it is way too hot for way too long. I adore huge dogs! One of my dogs weighs over 200 pounds. I am also always listening to either music or an audiobook. All the Noise at Once is my debut.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I was really young, maybe five or six? I had so many journals. I used to write poems and songs. I’d make up alternate scenarios for things that actually happened in life or write fan fiction for the books I loved. Thankfully, I didn’t have the internet freely available as I got a little older to publish them. We had dial-up, ha!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Recess Mess by Grace Macarrone
- The one that made you want to become an author: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Currently? Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
Your debut novel, All the Noise at Once, is out April 15th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Heartfelt, visceral, brotherly, nuanced, funny
What can readers expect?
They can expect characters that are grey. Some egg throwing and toilet papering. The slowest burn you’ve ever felt in a romance in the cutest way. A lot of brotherly love that will make you want to dump your siblings. Learning how to honor and respect the neurodivergent and disabled people in your life. Growing through the bad. Learning through the guilt.
Where did the inspiration for All the Noise at Once come from?
It came from both myself and my family. I have sons, and at least one has already been diagnosed. I am also autistic myself so I took a lot of inspiration for what I’ve dealt with and felt. Beyond that, I had to take cues from my kids and what they’ve been through as well. With that, it kind of combines with my fears and concerns for their future and what that might look like, especially being black and autistic and having to move through the world. That is where the book was born.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Brandon and Isabella. They’re very similar in many ways, though Isabella doesn’t have this pressure to perform in the same way Brandon does, she just is. She’s this free spirit and I loved it every time she was on the page. Brandon was interesting because he seems and feels so perfect but he has these chips in his armor and that was very interesting to explore. How does perfection break you down? How does performance hurt you in the end?
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
So, my spatial awareness is not the best, and writing scenes with a lot of movement is difficult. Writing football which is movement based and requires a lot of spatial awareness? It’s like I had it out for myself honestly. I had to draw a lot of maps to understand where I wanted things to be, where I needed characters to move, how fight scenes or football scenes would play out. Maps really help me visualize in a way that I just can’t on my own so I write it well on the page.
What do you hope readers take away from All the Noise at Once?
I touched on it earlier, but I really want readers to come away understanding more of how autistic people, especially Black, autistic people, feel. I want them to understand how to better respect those people. How to not infantilize us and treat us with the dignity and responsibility that we deserve.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It has truly been the most amazing experience. When I say I have the best team, it is not an exaggeration. I have had cool experiences so far. I recently attended a bookseller conference and being around that energy is so hard to walk away from and so very cool. I have had so much support also from other debuts and authors. It’s been fun and even though I’m a bit nervous for the book to really be in people’s hands, I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
What’s next for you?
My next novel will focus in on the first-generation immigrant experience mixed with a potential bisexual awakening. It’s a little lighter, but it tackles a lot of big questions like what does it mean to feel in touch with your culture? How do we deal with abandonment? How do we find ourselves in what we have around us? It’s really beautiful and I’m very proud of it and can’t wait for everyone to read it next!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Ah! So many have already come out like What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch and Needy Little Things by Chanelle Desamours, but I am also excited for An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole and If I Could Go Back by Briana Johnson.
