An Interview With Danny Evans

I posted a little while back about how a good friend of mine (Danny Evans of Dad Gone Mad) (You may remember him from this photo) wrote a book and mentioned me in the acknowledgments. This, despite the statement that “accounting sucks big, sweaty, wrinkled-up donkey balls covered in pickle juice” (His words, not mine) make me feel particularly honored. (I’m an accountant. Yo.) I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to call this dude “Friend” and want to do whatever I can to help spread the word about his book, which is on sale TODAY. (Well, some lucky ducks got their pre-ordered copies a few days ago, but the official launch is today.)

I personally have never struggled with depression but have friends and family members who wrestle with that beast constantly. It was great to get some insight into what it’s like from the inside of that battle. You would think that a book about depression would be, well, depressing but that is so not the case. I laughed out loud more times than I can count (That says a lot, considering the whole professional accountant thing) and thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is why I have read it twice. That says a lot for a mom of three who can barely find the time to leave the house fully clothed and in her right mind.

In order to help promote his book, Danny sent advance copies of his book to (me, and) some bloggers I love and respect. In turn, we get to subject him to interview questions that he must answer, regardless of what they may entail. Here is what transpired:

You have mentioned on your site (and Twitter) that you have webbed toes and a third nipple. Are there any other physical…anomalies that you would like to share?

Correction: I do NOT have a third nip. I don’t believe I’ve ever said that. But the webbed toes are a fact–a gift from my father that makes me a very strong swimmer and prone, on occasion, to quacking.

I know that devout Jews do not eat cheeseburgers or bacon. I also know that you do not consider yourself “devout” and that you love both cheeseburgers and bacon. Do you remember your first experience with either of those? Were they together, because OH MY WORD?

I don’t specifically recall when I first kissed the sweet, tender lips of pork, but I have a very clear memory of going through a McDonalds drive-thru in my sister’s shit-brown Ford Granada and ordering my first Egg McMuffin. I rank that as one of the most incredible moments of my life, right between meeting Gallagher at LAX and that time I convinced my golf buddies that I’d hit the ball 250 yards down the fairway instead of dropping one there after I shanked my drive into the cow pasture.

I have it on good authority that you were sent some Canadian beer for your 39th birthday in April (Old fart. Ahem.) Are you willing to admit that maybe Canadian beer is a little superior to Bud Light?

Well, let’s be clear here, Angella. What you sent me were two bottles of micro brewed brown ale, which I love, and comparing brew with that pedigree to domestic, mass-produced light beer is like comparing a choice cut of beef to a can of Alpo.

Boxers, briefs, or commando?

Boxer briefs.

OK, I’ll be serious. You share pretty openly in the book about what you were going through and about the intricacies of your extended family (Parents, etc.) Did this cause any grief in your personal life, or has everyone been supportive?

I don’t think grief is the right word here. There are certainly sections of the book that affected my loved ones, some in a difficult way. That was obviously never my intention, and though some of them struggled with parts of it, I think they each ultimately took a step back and saw that I needed to make Rage as genuine and honest and frank as possible. One of the reasons such a stigma envelopes mental illness is because most people don’t really get a sense of what it is, where it comes from, and how it can decimate an otherwise healthy person. I wanted the book to, in its own small way, punch a hole in that stigma, and the only way that could possibly happen is with brutal honesty.

You stated in the book that depression is hereditary (Both your Grandma and Father have dealt with it). I have seen this to be the case with people I know and love as well. As a father yourself, do you fear that your children will fight the same battle that you have?

I certainly do, but I hope that RAGE and other books like it are able to push the discussion of the disease far enough into the mainstream that soon getting treatment for depression will be less challenging and humiliating. I don’t know that there’s much I can do to actively prevent my kids from fighting a largely hereditary disease, but I’m certainly trying and hell-bent on supporting them in the tragic event that they ever have to confront this crap.

As far as I can tell, you are back to “normal” (as normal as you can be). What steps do you take to keep your depression in check and maintain a (somewhat) balanced equilibrium?

I still take my anti-depressants, although I think that may be more of a security blanket for me than an actual necessity. I’m active in my son’s Little League and other such pursuits that pull me out of the house, into the sunshine, and into the company of other fun people. And I write, which for me is as therapeutic and fulfilling as it gets. I sometimes have to remind myself to talk about what’s going on instead of following my old pattern of internalizing for fear that I might not know how to deal with it, but I have the very fortunate benefit of a wife who knows me well and sees when I need to discuss something.

If people could get just one thing out of Rage, what do you hope that would be?

I really hope readers whose lives have somehow been impacted by depression–either by personal experience or watching a loved one go through it–understand that it DOES happen to “normal” people and it CAN be treated. This is especially important for men. We are so prone to ignore our feelings or cover them up with alcohol and other self-anesthetics, and that just has to stop because eventually it catches up to us. So I guess the one thing I hope people take away from Rage is, “Maybe if this guy can admit to and get help for his depression, I can too.”

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Wicked. Thanks, Danny.

As I mentioned above, his book is on sale TODAY. GO BUY IT. Don’t even try to tell me that you can’t afford it because seriously? $10.24? That’s like a Starbucks run. Or less than a case of (Good, Canadian) beer. There is some crass language (A word of warning to my conservative readers) but sometimes a well-placed f-bomb is funny. At least I think so.

Here is where I tell you something a little bit awesome. I will be flying to Portland, Oregon next week to stay with Kerrianne and go to Danny’s signing. (Viva la Airmiles!) On August 12th he will be at Powell’s on 1005 W. Burnside at 7:30 pm. Any Portland (or Seattle/Pacific NW) people want to join us?

Because I love this book so much and want to support my friend, I will be purchasing two (TWO) books to have Danny sign them, addressed to the two winners. I will make the draw this Friday, August 7th. All you need to do is leave a comment.

What are you waiting for?

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OK! I just used Random.org and here is what it came up with:

Congratulations Angela and Tamara!