Looking East: Short Histories and More 2004 – 2023

Book Description:

Walter McClennen uses a “Short History” model to set forth a collection of his ideas reflecting on the deep past, and our more recent history, as well as the history we are making as we live our lives today. “Looking East – Short Histories and More, 2004-2023,” is a compact and thought-provoking read. From a ten page “Short History of the World,” to Peace Corps and Vietnam War impacts as felt five decades later, to the dual genius of the famous author, Harper Lee, and to some little-known history of his hometown, Holliston, Massachusetts,

McClennen shares candid opinions and raises interesting questions that will challenge the reader.  After publishing two earlier books of historically important family letters, the author now has compiled twenty years of his short histories and commentaries initially intended for his family, the town where he raised his children, and for his closest friends. However, the eclectic mix of contemporary topics covered in this most recent book will stir the interest of inquiring readers. Supplemented by a touch of poetry and illuminating photos and illustrations, “Looking East” is both an uplifting and a challenging read. 

Author Bio: After graduating from Harvard in 1967 and serving in the Peace Corps in Brazil, Walter McClennen raised a family of four boys with his wife, Carol Scott McClennen. He taught in the public schools of eastern Massachusetts and supervised educational programs and high school instruction for thirty-five years.  With his family, he entered into a decades-long project of salvaging and restoring the old Fisk Family Farm in Holliston, MA. In the last twenty years, he has dedicated himself to historical writing based on long-preserved family letters and documents. He previously published, 

“Hannah Smith – A Medfield Girl,” (2002), and – in 2017 – “Remembering Clem – A Good American in Iran.” He has a love for capturing the lost corners of our historical record, particularly as related to family, religion, and the Town of Holliston and its Mudville section near the town center.Seeing any bird through his ever-present binoculars gives him great joy and satisfaction. Likewise he smiles as his ten grandchildren grow and mature and contribute to the fast-changing world of today. Seventy-five years of sailing on Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod has been his ever-present teacher and guide throughout his life.