Local Author: Dera Frances White

Written by JENNY ENDERLIN

Though Dera Frances White studied experimental video and photography at the Atlanta College of Art (now Savannah College of Art and Design), the Newnanite does not limit herself to one type of expression. She has embarked on a multitude of projects ranging from interior decorating to the noteworthy year-long photo venture, “You are my Wild,” in which she participated alongside 11 other artists. Since then, she has turned her attention to writing, a medium she says she finds healing.

“I like expression in all its forms, which is why I tend to jump from medium to medium. I’ve gone through so many phases: painting, drawing, fibers, papier-mâché, photography, experimental sound, film and video, and writing,” she explains. As a result, her expertly curated mid-century home reflects a love for any artistic manifestation and exudes warmth and creativity. 

White hails from a family of artists – her mother, father, husband, and brother all graduated from top art schools across the country and make their living as professional artists. A recent collaboration between her and her brother Joe Bennett, who lives in California, yielded a graphic novel titled, “I Will Not Die Alone.” The story pokes at insecurities in a lighthearted fashion while simultaneously offering encouragement. Although White has written in various other capacities, this is the artist’s debut as a book author.

Raised on 25 acres in a remote cabin built by her parents in Fairburn, White jokes that with no cable television or neighborhood kids nearby, it was “fertile ground for breeding creativity – and existential crises!”

“Neither of us is good at small talk,” she laughs, describing her and her brother’s quirky personalities. “I tend to go to the deepest, darkest places right
off the bat. It’s not always great for dinner parties, but it made writing a book great fun! Growing up, we did an amazing job embodying the archetypal annoying little brother and petulant older sister. Sadly, I don’t think I realized how talented he was until he came home from college for the first time and showed the family his portfolio. I had no idea he was so good!” 

The book emerged after Bennett’s success illustrating comedian Joe Pera’s bestseller, “A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as An Escape.” His publisher asked for more and Bennett approached his big sister and said, “You write. Will you write this book with me?”

“I jumped at the opportunity,” says White. “I loved working with him. We found a flow state that worked: I’d write the text for the next page, pass it off to him, and he’d read my mind and deliver some excellent images to accompany it. I’d write another book with him in a heartbeat.”

Through a series of one-line self-affirmations juxtaposed with amusing illustrations, White artfully teases out an unexpected storyline peppered with pop culture references. The “existential comedy,” as she calls it, explores how people cope when they find out they only have a few days remaining. Despite tackling such an unwieldy topic, “I Will Not Die Alone” is a delightful, easy read. 

“At first glance, it reads only as a guidebook or self-help book. It’s fun watching people get to the halfway point and then seeing the lightbulb go off, like ‘Oh, I get it now!’ I like that they're not expecting a plotline, especially not one that ends the way it does. It was fun being a little sneaky,” she admits. “We arrived at the idea via our ability to make people a little uncomfortable with existential talk. It’s very ‘us.’”

As for whom White would want to spend her final moments with, she says her friends and family – and especially, of course, her brother Joe. NCM