WELCOME!

The Unfortunate Timing of Mr. Clockington is a novel, disguised as a children's book, about a clock that refuses to tell time but insists on telling the truth. Dark comedy. Autobiographical. The most important creative work Emmy Award-winning composer Eric Harper has ever made. He has been writing it since 2008. The album is complete. The book is coming.

The first chapter is available now for paid subscribers on Substack.

The Unfortunate Timing of Mr. Clockington

Eric Harper

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This is a concept album about a little cuckoo clock who doesn't want to tell the time but wants to tell the truth.

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  1. 1
    Roll In Roll Out Roll On 1:48
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  2. 2
    The Factory 4:36
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  3. 3
    The Same Refrain 3:53
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  4. 4
    O People of Baha 1:55
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  5. 5
    Mommy Leaves 0:46
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  6. 6
    The Catatonic Clock 4:58
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  7. 7
    Whatcha Want 3:16
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  8. 8
    The Little Princess 1:58
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  9. 9
    The Harvest of Reason 3:23
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  10. 10
    Autumn Leaves 4:57
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  11. 11
    When I Was Young 4:01
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  12. 12
    The 7th 3:52
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  13. 13
    The Judge 1:38
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  14. 14
    Goodnight Goodnight 4:06
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  15. 15
    Always There For Me 5:08
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  16. 16
    Pure And Goodly Deeds 1:10
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“Working with you always makes me happy. Thank you, you mad genius.” - Marketa Irglova of The Swell Season
“Working with Eric has been an honour and true blessing. He is a mad genius but also a spectacular human being. Brilliant at what he does and super fun to be around. I’ve gotten him to contribute to loads of my other projects and every single time he’s delivered not just perfect takes of what we requested of him but also added so much unexpected & inspired extra stuff, that always fits perfectly into whatever song we’re working on. I will forever be grateful that Eric brought me into his world of Mr. Clockington.” - Mio Thorisson

UPDATES 

July 11, 2026 

The book is being written daily. One hour every morning. One hour every evening. Portugal in September is the forcing function to finish it. The paid tier on Substack is where chapters will be serialized first — before anyone else reads them. If you want to be inside the room where this is being made, that's where to be.

May 25, 2026

Finally. I've finished three chapters and they're great! Now, I'm testing the market with the first chapter to see how it lands with audiences.

February 16th, 2024

Great news! The album “The Unfortunate Timing of Mr. Clockington” has just been mastered by the Grammy Award Winning Mastering Engineer Scott Hull of Masterdisk Studios. Melissa Suber is wrapping up the cover art and we'll have a finished album here very soon. So, stay tuned!

September 25th, 2023

The incredible Melissa Suber has signed on to do the cover art for Mr. Clockington. I'm so thrilled with her expertise and artistic direction. She completely has the eye and vision in mind that compliments the story and music perfectly. I can't wait to show you all the completed artwork!

February 12th, 2023

Great news everyone! We're up today by $120 thanks to 3 wonderfully generous and supportive patrons! That's puts us several steps closer to reaching our goal. Every cent counts and even if you can't support financially then a loving message or high five is always welcomed and encouraged. Also, if you would like, you can share this with your friends or anyone you can think that would be interested in being a part of the final develop of Mr. Clockington.

Thank you!

January 31st, 2023

Hey everyone! I am so excited to be releasing some new music for you and I am so happy to be able to have the support and backing of everyone. After a striking 26 year campaign I'll finally be releasing my new album "The Unfortunate Timing of Mr. Clockington." I'll be updating my progress here and will share some behind the scenes information about where I'm at in my funding campaign, plus some photos and videos as well. Thanks again and please feel free to share with anyone you think might be interested in supporting my music.

 

01/31/2023

Meet some of the Characters from Mr. Clockington!

Pepi Engelman

A seventh-generation clockmaker in Punkydoodle's Corners. After losing his son Denzin to a sudden, ordinary, wrong death, he sits at his bench and does not sleep, does not eat, and does not bathe for several weeks. He is building something. What emerges is Clockington. The lie he tells himself: that he is simply a craftsman. The truth: he built something miraculous from pure grief. The clock carries Denzin's spirit because Pepi's love willed it so.

Denzin Engelman

Pepi's son. A natural truth-teller who could not stop himself from speaking reality. He loved Sofia Silva. He was killed by a spooked horse and a streetcar — ordinary, sudden, wrong. His soul entered the clock his father built from grief. He is already the truth. The book is his continuing.

"Mr. Silver"

(Senhor Silva)

The town banker. Keeper of everyone's lies in his vault. He deploys Clockington door to door — initially as a menacing errand for the Judge, later as penance. His family history is the founding lie of the town. Denzin loved his daughter Sofia. His culpability in Denzin's death is implied, never confirmed. Every deployment of Clockington is Denzin's love re-entering the world through the only channel available to it.