Writer on Writer: Daniel McCloskey & Bradley Spinelli

The latest in Karen Lillis’ Writer on Writer interview series:

Bradley: Early on, Dan brought Billy back to life, so to speak, through the video for his funeral, yet Collin starts over. It’s obvious that you, as a writer, wanted to bring someone back to life in writing this book. Do you think it’s possible? Or did it at least help your own process of mourning, paying tribute, and moving on?

Daniel: You can’t bring someone back to life. You can’t even keep anyone alive. Everyone you know will die, and you will die. Again, that is the basic truth revealed in a suicide apocalypse.

Though I think there are certain truths humans will never stop needing to hear. We will die, love matters, greed kills, hubris makes and breaks our heroes, other people are whole other people, etc, etc. That’s why the one funeral in your book is so touching. You aren’t burying “remains” when you bury your friend. You bury part of yourself. You’re giving your idea of them a place to go.

Part 1, McCloskey Interviews Spinelli

Part 2, Spinelli Interviews McCloskey