Bill Duncliffe

 

Bill Duncliffe is a resident of Danvers, Massachusetts. He lives there with his wife and best friend of 22 years, Beth and their three children, Meghan, Eamonn and Rose.
He began writing Christmas Past in 1988 and tinkered with it off and on through the years until its publication in 2002. A love letter to his parents, Bill and Teresa and his brothers and sisters, Neil, Collette, Christine, Nancy and John, he worked on it painstakingly and long to make sure that he portray as accurately as possible the wonderful family, home and neighborhood in which he grew up. Without them, Christmas Past would not exist.

Over the years, his children constantly clamored for his storytelling, giving him valuable chances to hone his craft. Their love and enthusiasm were and are a constant source of wonder and gratitude. Without the encouragement of his wife Beth, Christmas Past would not exist either. Her constant encouragement, support and feedback breathed life into its creation, much as Big Yaz himself was the sparkplug for many a Red Sox rally in that magic summer of 1967. Visit Bill online at www.christmaspastweb.com

 

Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Bill Duncliffe: I grew up south of Boston in a town called Weymouth, Massachusetts. As noted in my book "Christmas Past," Weymouth was one of the towns where many Irish Catholics chose to live when leaving the city in the post-war rise of the middle class.

Reading was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. We always had books around and there was great word of mouth in our small house that helped point out some great reads. As also noted in the book, my father was a reporter for one of the Boston newspapers but my mother had equally as much influence on our love of reading. It wasn't that she actively encouraged or pushed us to read. But she didn't suffer sloth pleasantly. And to her, reading was not slothful. There were just always good books around and discussion about books or good reading was not uncommon at all in our household.

My earliest influence, because of his career, was of course my father. Every boy wants to be what his father is when they are very young, but that actually stayed with me for a long time. When I reflect on my life, if it weren't for the fact that I shared the same name as him and had a strong need to prove myself without feeling as if I was riding on his coattails, I probably would have sought a job in the newspaper business after college. But I was headstrong and felt a need to make my own name.

In terms of other writing that influenced me early on, the first that comes to my mind is the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. I believe I was in the 7th grade when I first read a Holmes mystery ("The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle") and I was immediately hooked. I marveled then, and still do now, how he so vividly re-created Victorian London. I also admired the fact that Sherlock, while a master detective, was not afraid to dispense true justice, even if it meant not cooperating with the authorities.

The other book that influenced me at a very young age was "April Morning" by Howard Fast. I still believe this book to be one of the all-time unmentioned classics when classics are discussed. The story of such an emotion-charged day told through the eyes of a scared, uncertain teen struck me at the time because of my sympathy with his situation and his angst. It also taught me to be unafraid of raw emotions in writing.

 

Pageonelit.com: Why did you write CHRISTMAS PAST? Where did this story come from? Is there some of the authors biographical experiences in the story?

Bill Duncliffe: Well, of course the book is intensely biographical. As I like to say, however, "Christmas Past," like any piece of fiction, is crafted partly out of personal experience, partly from hearsay and partly from whole cloth. I will leave it up to the reader to decide which is which.

I wrote "Christmas Past" because, as I got older and began raising my own family, it dawned on me how extraordinarily lucky I had been in my own upbringing. We had nothing, really, at that time but in a very real sense we had everything. We were a garrulous bunch, raucous, fun-loving, close-knit, who loved, laugh, fought and redeemed each other. There was a special closeness there that seems missing in so many of today's families. Ironically, I think it is because these days we have so much. In the absence of plenty, we were forced to learn to live and get along with each other. This we did with a vengeance!

At the center of all of that were my mother and father. I realized as I looked back that it was the tone they set for us that we followed. They were, and still are, wholly devoted to each other, not in a popularized, romantic kind of fashion but in a good old plain "You're my best friend" kind of fashion. Quietly, unassumingly they have built their lives around each other. When I see them now, I am amazed at the depth of true intimacy they have forged.

I guess you could say I wrote "Christmas Past" as a love letter to my parents, my brothers and sisters and the special times we shared together.

 

Pageonelit.com: Tell us about the main character Dave McNeil.

Bill Duncliffe: Dave is the 12-year old narrator of "Christmas Past." In a large family, stuck between high-octane overachievers above and relentlessly cute rivals below, he sometimes feels lost, forgotten, unappreciated. On the cusp of those scary teenage years, he still clings fiercely to the clearly defined world of sports heroes and the Hardy Boys. Definition is reassuring to Dave, in large part because he feels so undefined within his own family. In another sense, however, that undefined role of his in the family allows him to create one of his own. Quietly, he observes, reflects and ponders the dynamics and interaction between and among the various characters in his family.

While primarily about his family and a difficult time they go through, "Christmas Past" is also about Dave's struggles with determining his own identity. Some of those carry on beyond the time period captured in the book but nevertheless work their way into the narrative. So often, a person's fate, foibles and destiny spring from his or her own reactions to the formative forces of their youth. Dave has the opportunity to reflect on those shaping influences as he confronts adult life. In doing so, he develops a greater appreciation for the unique time and place in which he grew up.

 

Pageonelit.com: In CHRISTMAS PAST, the narrarator says, "We Irish had a great way with foods." Explain and gives us an idea of an Irish dinner? Is food an important aspect for an Irish family? Why or why not?

Bill Duncliffe: Oh, gosh, what a funny question. Was food an important aspect of life for an Irish family? Sure, in a very utilitarian fashion, at least in my family and those who I knew growing up in the sliver of the world we called home. Food's function was to fill the belly when the yearning became particularly acute. Therefore, the only requirement was that it be hot (mostly) and that there be a lot of it. Crazy things like spices were unheard of because they were unrequired. Why fuss over food? Just get it on the table!

French style cooking used to crack me up. I thought that Julia Child was the craziest lady on TV. Who would waste so much time putting a damn meal on the table? She acted as if people might actually taste food!

My family was like most other families I knew. What was for dinner was determined by the day of the week. Sundays, we always had a roast. Not an eye round roast, pot roast or crown roast. Just roast. Who needed adjectives to go with it? Monday night, beef stew. Tuesday night, chicken. Wednesday night, spaghetti. Thursday night, meatloaf. Friday night, fish (no meat on Fridays!). Saturday night, franks and beans. Occasionally, the routine would be broken up by things like the dreaded hamburg discussed in the book. But only occasionally.

When I think back to my 20th year or so when my mother introduced tacos as a staple, I am overwhelmed by the revolutionary culinary forces that must have been swirling inside of her.

I have to look back and credit my mother however. Putting supper on the table for 8 of us every night of the week could not have been an easy or fun task. I'm sure that for her the routine was something that made the ordeal easier to handle. And in some ways, I must confess, there was something comforting about the routine to us too.

I should also note, since I took great pains to pan her cooking (pun intended) in the book, she was a wonderful baker. One of my fondest memories is arriving home from school every day to find some fresh-baked treat along with ice cold milk to be consumed before going outside to play. Mum's toll-house cookies right out of the oven still bring a smile to my face!

 

Pageonelit.com: Is Christmas your favorite holiday? Why or why not? What is about Christmas that makes for a good setting/background for storytelling such as CHRISTMAS PAST?

Bill Duncliffe: As with every kid, growing up Christmas was my favorite holiday. How could it not be? You were lavished with tons of presents, most of which were really cool. And they came from this guy who had a magic sleigh and came into your house in the middle of the night while you were sleeping. Who cared if all your baubles were broken three weeks after Christmas? What kid ever looked that far ahead? Sure you might have to suffer through the occasional ill-chosen gifts of clothes or socks, but for a kid Christmas is the greatest scam ever invented.

As I've gotten older I must confess that Thanksgiving is now my favorite holiday. The crisp air of late November contrasting with the warmth of friends and family close by is irresistible to me. And of course the nap on the couch while the football game is on is always well deserved. Why, believe it or not, I even enjoy the painstaking preparation of the turkey and all the trimmings! I guess my food tastes have changed too!

Christmas stories are certainly perennials. There is no denying that. So I guess we have to ask ourselves why that is. I think it's because the season of Christ's birth is an opportunity to consider rebirth. John Lennon said "Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans." Sadly, for so many people, that is the source of great anxiety and disappointment. Christmas stories inevitably seem to revolve around finding peace within ones self, with ones lot in life. Accepting disappointment and appreciating what that disappointment may have masked. So few of us get what we really want, but if we stop and take inventory, we realize how lucky we have been. In such appreciation, rebirth, a rededication to life and a new appreciation of it begin. "Christmas Past" was my own opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary time and people through which I came of age.

 

Pageonelit.com: Being an experienced published author - What advice can you offer for those writers who are working on their first book?

Bill Duncliffe: Stay with it! Do not quit! Do not give up! If you believe in your vision, follow it. Writing is an itch only scratched by application of pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!). All of us have a muse-we do best when we follow it.

The most important piece of advice, though, is to get feedback from others. When I first thought I had completed "Christmas Past" I gave copies of the manuscript to several friends who I trusted to give me an honest assessment of the book. They were universal in their analysis. The book was too long, too preachy in parts, comparing today's situations to those of yesteryear, and the preachiness distracted from what was a compelling, well-written story.

Well, of course I knew they were wrong. And to prove them wrong, I hired a professional editor who, lo and behold, gave me the very same feedback.

Get feedback. Listen to it. Incorporate it. But don't follow it slavishly either. Don't allow the feedback to subsume the unique voice you bring to your writing. But let that voice be a rapier, not a bludgeon.

 

Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your books?

Bill Duncliffe: I have been so warmed by people's feedback. I can't begin to tell you what a moving experience that has been.

So many people have told me they felt like they were right inside that house during the period I described. They tell me they identify with different family members and what they were going through. The events that happened to the fictional McNeils remind them of things that happened to them. They also tell me it gives them a renewed appreciation for their families.

That's pretty heady praise that I find very humbling. I thought "Christmas Past" was a good story, but as a writer sometimes you are the last to know. When you cast your bread upon the water, you're not sure if anyone will bite. The praise and encouragement I have received has been rewarding beyond belief.

 

Pageonelit.com: Who are your favorite writers and why?

Bill Duncliffe: Great question. Let's see.

Robert Caro-while he is a historian, he brings the art of descriptive language to history in a way that makes reading history a page-turning event like a good mystery novel.

Ed McBain-the, in my mind, unappreciated master of the 87th Precinct series. His spare prose finds a way to brightly color scenes and emotions. Paradoxical, seemingly, but not if you've read any of his stuff.

Homer Hickam-the current champion, I think, of bringing you back to a time and place with which you are unfamiliar. Not only will you think you know Coalwood, WV after reading his books, you will wish you could have been there with him.

And, naturally, F.W. Dixon, legendary (fictional himself) creator of The Hardy Boys.

 

Pageonelit.com: What's next?

Bill Duncliffe: Well, I want to make sure "Christmas Past" gets its proper play in the marketplace, so I am working hard on getting it some recognition.

I have a children's book written called "Rose, Go to Sleep!" It's based on my own kid's antics when they were very young. I have a second "Rose" book drafted "Rose Goes to the Baseball Game." With the right illustrator, I see "Rose" as being a very successful series.

I've begun writing a full-length novel tentatively entitled "Broken Angels" which captures a Dave McNeil type at middle age, pondering where his life has brought him.

And finally, I've begun research on a book about Grammy, my dear, beloved grandmother whose heroism is all too briefly touched on in "Christmas Past." She was an incredible woman who got herself and her family, including my mother, through some extraordinary hardships.

 

Pageonelit.com: What was the last book you read?

Bill Duncliffe: "In a Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson. I love the way words can be fit together to make funny passages or lyrical threads which have a momentum and power built solely on the way they are strung together. He clearly has that love too and brings an iconoclastic way of looking at things. In this case, to the fascinating "Down Under," Australia.

 

Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing.

Bill Duncliffe: Horse racing. All horseplayers love a good story. Many horseplayers tell a good story. Some of the best stories I've ever heard revolve around the string of accidents and circumstances involved in both big winning and big losing bets. Someday I'll tell you my story about the Pick 7 my brother promised he would bet for me.

And, of course, I love to read. Reading is the greatest diversion there is. Not only is it entertaining, but for a writer it can also be educational. Talk about your win-win!