The History...
Little Bird with One Wing was first written in the 1970s after the author graduated from college and became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps.
The original poem focused on what the author believed was society’s attitude toward the disabled and others who didn’t fit into traditional roles. During the 1980s Mr. O’Clock began to realize that his view of what makes us human both physically and spiritually was a bit distorted. This awakening began a quest to express what it means to be human to those around him. Not long after the new millennium began, Mr. O’Clock started to revise his earlier poems to reflect his new views on life.
As for Little Bird with One Wing, the author made numerous revisions, completing the final version of the poem in 2023. This refreshed version with its underlying theme is presented through an unusual perspective to address a very emotional and controversial topic.
To the author’s delight, his artistic son Peter, who illustrated SOCOBY (State or Condition of Being Young), was available to illuminate Little Bird with One Wing. Peter’s drawing style allows readers to easily transport themselves into this world of birds, making his dad’s poetic verses come to life through creative imagery, which is a testament to his inventive artwork.
–James W. “Bill” O’Clock
Our Story
A family affair
From the 1970s to this day, Bill never lost his love of creating poetic short stories, providing a sense of wonder and excitement in uncanny situations that symbolize values and ideals reflecting present day reality. The desire to update and illustrate these stories has been his dream over the years. He now sees the dream coming to life after 50 years with the aid of his son’s illustrative skills and wife’s editorial assistance.
As mentioned, James W. “Bill” O’Clock is an Iowa native raised in South Dakota. His engineering, management and bioethics background kept him very busy, but he still had time for other activities, including writing poetry. Now retired, Bill is updating poems he penned many years ago, with SOCOBY and Little Bird with One Wing being the first fruits of his labor. Even more satisfying is that the creation of these two illustrated poems are a family collaboration, since the illustrator of the book happens to be his younger son Peter and the editing was done by his wife Pirkko.
The illustrator Peter D. O’Clock was born in Arkansas, but spent his formative years in Maryland and is the adopted son of the author and his wife. His gifting for art was evident at a very young age, and as soon as he could pick up a pencil he started drawing. Peter’s parents encouraged his creativity and it wasn’t long before he went from doodling during classes to pursuing his passion using computers. As technology advanced, both 2D and 3D imagery captured his eye, revealing many fascinating possibilities for the future of art. One of those possibilities was realized as Peter attended the Art Institute of Washington Summer Studio prior to his enrollment there, where he received the “Best in Show” award.
Soon after completing a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts and Animation, Peter undertook the project of illustrating SOCOBY in 2022 and later finished drawing Little Bird with One Wing in 2024. The fantastic artwork required presented a great challenge to make the books look both stylized and grounded. Peter’s efforts to create rich details and otherworldly landscapes provided the visuals that bring the poems to life. His ultimate goal and dream is to start his own animation company and impact the creative world on the level of Walt Disney.
The editor-in-chief Pirkko K. O’Clock was born in Finland and immigrated with her family to the United States via Australia. After five years of college in northern California she graduated with a Biology degree and a minor in Art. Pirkko became a commissioned officer in the NOAA Corps in 1974 where she met Bill. Bill and Pirkko tied the knot in June 1977 and have four children.