An Interview with Boyd MacDonald

Sometimes surviving childhood is the real adventure.

Boyd MacDonald never quite fit the mold. A daydreamer, a misfit, and a kid who couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble, he grew up in a world that swung wildly from privilege to chaos. When his father’s unraveling shatters the family’s life of wealth, Boyd is left to navigate strict teachers, brutal setbacks, and a reality far harsher than the one in his head.

Told with sharp humor and unflinching honesty, Too Much Ice in My Ice Water follows Boyd’s unlikely path from struggling student to resilient leader. Through failures, false accusations, and hard-won victories, he learns to stand his ground, find his strengths, and build a life on his own terms.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Everyone knew her. She moved there after her husband died. The only thing she had to be proud of was that he had worked at Capwell’s.

She still had a car. She could have driven down there every day if she’d wanted. But she never did. She would call there just about every day and order something to be sent UPS. Every single time she would call and say there was something wrong with it and send it back. Why did they continue to take her orders? I never understood. She was as bad as I was!

I had heard about her before I met her. I worked Saturday evenings for a while when the school year began. The woman who worked the day shift was Mae. She had no patience for this woman and her complaints. She would sit up there and think of reasons to call. When I arrived, she informed me that she had logged twenty-three calls from her that day. “And I only got one claim done!”

It was true. Soon Mae took the full-time job at the other building, and I took her weekend job. It was a lot for me to take on, because it meant having no days off, but I loved it. A package came by UPS from Capwell’s. I didn’t need to look to see who it was for. I phoned 315 and said, “You have a package from Capwell’s, should I send it back?”

She said “NO! I’ll be right down.” Right on cue, twenty minutes later she was back down with the package all tied up with brown string. They had sent the wrong size, the wrong color, the wrong everything. And she’d called and given them an earful. This was how she spent her days. She gave me and the UPS guy some good laughs!

Nothing was ever right in the dining room. She rarely returned to her room without coming and telling me something. Too much, too little, too soon, too late, too cold, too done. I heard it all. “They served me last.” “They put the butter where I couldn’t reach it.” “They left the napkins in the middle of the table.” I thought it was funny. Why was she telling me? What was I supposed to do? I listened patiently, practically egging her on to keep it up. I couldn’t wait to hear what she came up with next, and it finally happened. She finally said it. “They put too much ice in my ice water!”
Many years later, I had lunch with two friends I had worked with there. Mae and Maryellen. We talked about so many things. I said, “Someday I’m gonna write a book. The title will be ‘Too Much Ice in My Ice Water.’”

Maryellen responded, “Who said that, Mrs. Holsing?” (Only Mrs. Holsing would say that!)

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Absolutely thrilled! I knew what the title of the book would be many years before I knew I’d ever write it. And I took that picture myself many years ago. My mother commented that this needed to be used for something. Since my great-uncle built that bridge, and I had all the material his daughter had given me, it all came together.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I went to sign up for classes at the gym. I approached a sweet looking woman I’d never seen. She was new. I explained that I needed an English class but did not know what to take. I told her what I’d taken the previous year. I wasn’t good at anything. “You take my early American literature class. You need a reading class!” (A real reading class.) How could I say no? I didn’t notice that a boy I’d stood next to in gym class the previous year, who I did not know well, had signed up for the same class.

On the first day of class, she told us what we would be doing. Reading and writing. There will be homework. “And if you get home and don’t understand the assignment, you see this (on the chalk board)? That’s my phone number. You call me! And if you don’t do your assignment, I’m gonna tell your mother!” A lotta difference that would have made.

A few days later, something amazing happened. We were assigned to work groups. I was frightened. That boy I barely knew from the previous year and I were facing each other. We weren’t friends but I shyly opened up and shared that I’d read whatever it was, something from the “Scarlet Letter,” I think. It didn’t make sense. I knew I couldn’t do this, but I didn’t want to disappoint this woman, and I felt so awkward. He was smart.

He said, “What do you think it means?” Really? Like make up something? “Get out a pen.” Suddenly, he felt like a friend, and I was at ease talking. We got to work. We shared thoughts, explored possibilities, and came up with what we each agreed made sense. The assignment was done. From then on, reading involved imagination and interpretation; something I’d never done. I got a B. I didn’t know him after that. He never knew what that brief exchange had done for me, nor would he have cared. But I’d found the courage to step out of my comfort zone; to try something even when I thought I couldn’t do it.

I asked her if I was ready for intermediate comp. with her the second semester. She said, “Of course you are!”

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Working in the retirement home was the best fit because I learned I could do any number of things while working there. But I’m most proud of the fact that I started in the kitchen at age seven, under the direction of one of my best friends, Jurene Wandrick who decided I was her adopted white son. She could tell I was different. I’d rather be in the house with her making a cake than outside playing with neighbors.

It is hard to imagine that this inspired a leadership role where I was comfortable walking into the kitchen and taking charge years later. I can cook! I can do just about anything if I have to.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Along the way, as I would tell people my stories, they would say, “You should write a book.” Although I always knew what the title would be, I didn’t know if I would ever do it. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. I had the material I needed, and the rest was in my head. That was easy and fun. I read Atmosphere’s website. I learned that they received 1,500 manuscripts each month, and they ended up publishing thirty of them. So, this was enough for me to know I would get a rejection. But I wanted to know what that felt like and see what would happen after the rejection. (What else could I do with it?) The most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing came after I hit the send button. They liked it! I got connected with cool people who were happy to help me identify the rough spots and make the necessary corrections.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Baby Elephant Walk, by Henry Mancini

Burning Down the House, by Talking Heads

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

One cannot be defined by where he started; the barriers, the labels, the failures.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I don’t think of myself as creative, generally. But I stay busy. I have a part-time accounting job working for a dentist. It gives me a reason to get up and out of the house four days a week. I have projects at home and at my apartment building. I give myself assignments that are no more than two hours, so I don’t get tired of anything. Cleaning, painting. I like to keep things looking nice

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

For those who know nothing about publishing, it was perfect. Expensive, yes, but I had the money to spend and it was a gift to myself. They provided everything I needed and were helpful in every way along the way.

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